Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
by my-chemical-romanoff
Summary: Time works in mysterious ways for two who live worlds apart, and Loki and Natasha will find out why...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, and welcome to another story! I hope you all enjoy! A later chapter will involve a prompt requested by the amazin futurerustfuture-dust that really inspired this entire story!**

No one knew his misery. No one could possibly understand the emptiness that had consumed his very being. Funny how one tiny thing could change a person forever. Ignorance is bliss… Loki rolled out of his bed, forcing himself out of his room for the first time in days, but to him, it felt more like years. He would have stayed, but he swore he would go mad if he stayed in his darkened room for another second. Loki left, shutting his door before silently making his way down a long corridor. He was sure to quietly sprint past the library in case his 'mother' was there. '_Mother_…'

Frigga wasn't his mother. She never was-not even for a second. Her and her husband managed to play up their roles quite well. Loki wasn't one to be fooled until now. He recalled the earlier conversation with the man he had called 'father' and felt the need to hide away for the rest of his immortal life.

Loki Laufeyson. That was his true name. His entire life was a lie. He wasn't even sure if Loki was even his given name. For all he knew, it could've been something Odin whipped up when he stole him from Jotunheim, his birthplace. Loki didn't know what to think. All he knew was that he didn't want to be here on Asgard. He needed someone who could understand his internal conflict and suffering, someone who knew what it was like to be made undone…

"What brings you here, Loki?" Heimdall asked in his deep voice. The guard didn't need to turn his head to know who was approaching, for he saw everything.

"I'm looking for someone," Loki began in a quiet voice. He stood beside the man clad in gold armour and gazed out towards the cosmos surrounding them. "Is there anyone out there that is suffering?"

"Hundreds," the man answered.

Loki continued to stare at the black sky flecked with stars. "Take me to someone that can understand and help me, Heimdall," the young god requested. "And in return, I will help ease their pain."

"What has made you come to this decision?" Heimdall inquired, staring at Loki in the corner of his eye.

Loki sighed heavily. "I feel that this is no longer my rightful place. If I stay, the hurt will only grow worse…" He stared down at his hand and flexed his fingers. No blue colouring or Jotun markings… for now, at least…

"Very well, then," Asgard's gatekeeper agreed.

"I will call for you when I wish to return." Loki watched as Heimdall made his way towards the center of the observatory. The young god took one last look at the stars before the dome closed and bolts of lightning flickered throughout. Loki outstretched his arms as a force sucked him up, carrying him into a vortex of time and space.

There was an unexpected chill in the air that didn't bother Loki in the slightest. Snow crunched beneath his boots as he walked towards a small brick building. He happened to spot two men standing on patrol by a fence. They were dressed in heavy wool coats, so Loki decided to whip up an outfit like theirs. Blending in was vital if he wished to stay unbothered. Loki wondered who it was that he was searching for. Did Heimdall even understand his command?

"_Faster_!" A man's voice barked.

Loki perked up and hurried towards the shout. He spotted a group of men dressed in matching dark coats. They all seemed to be staring at something and Loki wanted a closer look.

"Your time was slow, Romanova! Don't tell me the cold has gotten to you already!" a man snorted.

The three men didn't seem to hear Loki approach them from behind. They were far too busy mocking a young red-headed girl as her trembling fingers fought to assemble a shotgun whose pieces were scattered in the snow around her. Loki couldn't tear his eyes away from the small child. She was terribly thin, how he knew was due to the white tattered gown that showed off her bare arms and legs. Unlike Loki, the cold seemed to be affecting her. As miserable as she looked, though, there were no tears in her lifeless green eyes. She was a fighter, determined to prove the men wrong.

"Romanova!" A mustached man reached for a whip that hung at his side. "You have thirty seconds!"

The girl scowled as she reached for the gun's muzzle.

"You got something to say?!" The man unfolded his whip and lashed at the child's arm.

Loki clenched his jaw to stop a scream. To his amazement, the girl didn't cry out. Only a whimper, and nothing more.

"She'll need more reconditioning," a bearded man standing beside Loki commented.

"Pick up the damn pieces and get back inside!" the man holding the whip commanded. "No dinner for you tonight." He turned on his heel to storm off and his companions followed.

The man beside Loki roughly nudged him in the side as he brushed past him. "Make sure she cleans it up," he snipped at the god.

_This _must have been who Loki was to confide in. A child. A small, helpless child. He removed his coat and knelt down to drape it over the little red-head's shoulders.

At first, she flinched at his gesture before shooting him a cold glare. "Get away from me!" she spat. The girl resumed rummaging through the snow for any traces of shiny metal.

"Let me help you." Loki softly smiled as he made a small coil levitate into the air. Finally, he was able to see a light within the girl's eyes. "Impressive, isn't it?" he chuckled as she stared at the floating piece in wonder.

She shook her head and grabbed the piece, bringing it close to her chest.

Loki intently watched her, noticing a welt form where the whip had struck her. He reached out to touch her, but she high-kicked him in the jaw.

"I don't know who the hell you are, so don't touch me!" she shouted.

"I can heal you. Hold still." Loki wished she would go back to looking like a tortured soul instead of behaving like a feral beast.

"Where are you even from?" she asked. "Your accent doesn't sound Russian…You aren't one of _them_."

She should've been glad that she was able to communicate with him thanks to Loki's powers. However, she was clever. Loki had to give her that. "I journeyed across worlds just to find you." The girl stared at him like he was a madman. "Let me take you with me," he beckoned, reaching out his large hand to her. "I assure you that no one will treat you so cruelly…" Then again, Loki wasn't sure what to believe. If he brought her back, there was a good chance Odin would toss her out. "How about we visit a new world for just the two of us?" Loki grinned. Heimdall could find a far off world where Loki could take the child forever. "There will be no more pain, no betrayal…"

The red-head's gaze softened as her eyes met with the god's. "Did someone hurt you, too?"

"Yes," he admitted. "I fear that you and I have experienced all types of hurt, Romanova."

"Natalia," she muttered. "My name is Natalia Romanova."

"That is a very pretty name, Natalia," Loki kindly smiled. "How about you let me take you somewhere safe?"

"I can't," she quickly answered. "I need to stay here and train to become stronger."

"You seem quite strong to me."

Natalia stared past Loki's shoulder towards the brick building. "They'll find me if I leave. They always do…"

"I swear to you that no one will find you if you join me."

"The bad men will kill you," she warned.

Loki arched a brow. "'Bad men?' Have they always mistreated you?"

Natalia hugged the wool coat closer to her shivering body. "They're bad to all of us. They call us worthless pieces of shit unless we perform well… They don't even see us as human. We're dolls for them to break…"

Loki rubbed his hands together as he focused on Natalia's face. "What if I could make the bad men disappear?"

"Are you a magician?" she asked.

"You may refer to me as one, if you like," he smirked. "Here." He opened his palm and summoned a piece of warm meat into his hand. "Eat. You must be starving."

Natalia eyed the piece of food and began to shy away. If she was caught eating, she knew she would receive more than a lashing. 'No dinner,' the bad man had said. What if this was a trap?

"Go on," Loki encouraged her. "Eat while I have a word with the bad men…"

The scent of fresh meat grew stronger in Natalia's nostrils and she could no longer fight her stomach's growls of protest. She snatched the food from Loki's hand and quickly devoured it.

Loki chuckled as he watched her eat. It reminded him of how Thor chose to consume his dinner. His smile fell when he noticed the jacket fall from the girl's shoulders. All along her arms were thin scars, some newer than others, bruises, scrapes… "I swear that I will take you somewhere we can both find happiness." Loki left a small loaf of bread atop a patch of snow before he made his leave towards the building.

Natalia watched him walk away and wiped her greasy hands in the snow. "Wait!" she called out, making him stop. "You never told me your name."

"Loki," he said with a grin before disappearing into the building.

She pursed her lips and reached for the fresh bread as he left her side.

Loki sauntered through the door as if he had done it a million times. Even without the coat, he was still wearing the same matching uniform as the three men sitting at a wooden table, chatting with their glass bottles of vodka.

The man with the whip shot Loki a sideways glance. "Your face is new," he dryly remarked, taking a swig of his drink.

"And it is a face that you will never regret," Loki added. He summoned a sharp knife into his hand, forcing the bearded man to jump from his seat.

"He's armed!"

The mustached man wielding the whip snapped it at Loki, only to freeze up as the raven-haired god caught the tip of the whip in midair.

An evil smirk formed across Loki's lips as he jerked the whip forward, forcing the man to fall flat on his face. "You've tortured Lady Romanova for the last time!" Loki growled. He leapt onto the man's back, grinning widely as he heard ribs snapping beneath his boots. Loki saw the two cronies lunge at him. The one was taken out with a clean slice across the neck with his blade. The bearded man, however, managed to grab Loki's neck and refused to let go. Loki let the tip of his knife sink into his opponent's wrist, forcing him to scream bloody murder. He fell backwards, allowing for the god to return his focus to the man he had seen harm Natalia. Loki flipped the man onto his back, scrunching his nose as a mixture of blood and spit hit his cheek.

"Romanova sent you?" he choked out. "Who the hell _are _you?"

The god slowly drove his blade into the abuser's chest, taking pleasure in his broken cries. "I hope you suffer far worse in Hel where you belong!" Loki spat. He took a moment to contemplate whether to carve off the man's face first. Perhaps chop off the fingers one by one…

"D-don't touch him!" the bearded man demanded as he rose to his feet. He reached out to grab a fistful of Loki's dark locks.

The sound of a gunshot echoed throughout the tiny room. Loki whipped his head around just in time to see the bearded man fall sideways with a bullet wound through his ear.

"Thirty eight seconds," Natalia glowered, her shotgun ready to fire again. "My fastest time yet, you pieces of shit!" She shot the man whose throat had been slit in the skull, leaving only one more alive… The main offender.

"Natalia…" Loki's mouth fell open at the sight of such a tiny, young thing staining her hands with blood. The rage burning in her eyes was what frightened Loki the most.

"Step away. He's mine, Loki," she breathed.

Loki slowly stepped away, refusing to break eye contact with Natalia.

Natalia's thin legs trembled beneath her as she stood ready to shoot. The man was going to die… After the beatings, the incessant yelling, the weekly injections, it was all about to end. One bullet to the head stood between Natalia and freedom from her oppressor. One clean shot, and her suffering would be over. So why was she so hesitant? It wasn't as though the doctor could punish her for killing him. Unless karma chose to mess with her. Natalia flinched when she felt Loki's cold hands against hers.

"Steady," his velvety voice murmured into her ear. He helped Natalia straighten her posture.

Having Loki at her side suddenly made Natalia feel stronger. Safe, even. She took a deep breath and let her finger pull the trigger. Loki's hands covered her ears as a shot rang out. As if in slow motion, Natalia watched as the bullet dove into the man's skull and the light left his eyes. It was all over. "Loki, I'm ready to find happiness! I-" The high she had gotten off of the kill faded as she turned to see that the magician had disappeared. Even with newfound freedom, Natalia felt helpless and alone.

* * *

><p>"What have you done, Loki?!" Heimdall demanded.<p>

"I never asked to return!" the god yelled, wiping the blood off of his cheek. "Take me back! I am to take Natalia to safety!"

"Loki…" The gatekeeper sighed. He had been fully prepared to tell his King of the crime the boy had committed, but Heimdall felt that he was responsible for this. Just this once, he had to let it slide. It wasn't as though Loki had done a horrible thing. Yes, he murdered, but it was to protect a child… "You should be grateful that I will not tell the King of this incident."

"Take me back to her!" Loki barked. "Heimdall!"

"Be gone, my Prince," he instructed. "Perhaps I will allow you another visit tomorrow."

Loki felt his temper begin to cool down. "Tomorrow," he repeated.

"Yes…"

Unbeknownst to Loki, time worked in mysterious ways for the two who lived world apart…

**"Troubled times  
>Caught between confusions and pain<br>Distant eyes  
>Promises we made were in vain"<strong>

**Separate Ways ~Journey**


	2. Chapter 2

The gentle rays of sunlight filtered through the curtains of Loki's balcony, awaking the god from his slumber. Sleep hadn't come easy for him as of late, and after encountering young Natalia, sleeping became harder. He tried to imagine what his life would have been like if he knew what he was at such a tender age. Would he have become as callous as the little red-head? What if his rage got the better of him and made him kill Odin? There were so many possibilities. The more Loki dwelled on it, the more he wanted to revisit the child. She didn't deserve to know how cruel life truly was. Natalia deserved better. If he could make her happy, then perhaps he, too, would be able to find happiness. Loki had Frigga and Odin looking out for him. They cared, so they said… But Natalia had nothing. Nothing but a shotgun and blood on her hands…

Loki hopped out of bed and lazily dressed himself all with a snap of his fingers. He needed to pay her another visit. Better yet, he needed to take her somewhere she would never have to live in fear. As he left the room, Frigga happened to catch him rushing down the hall.

"Loki?" She couldn't remember the last time she had seen her son. It had been at least a week. Ever since Odin told Loki the truth, he avoided his parents like the plague.

The trickster paused at his mother's voice. He didn't want to let her know where exactly he was going, seeing that Loki wished to permanently leave. "Yes?" he quietly asked, refusing to meet her gaze.

"I haven't seen you in days," she began with a small smile. "Join me for breakfast in the garden."

Frigga reached for his hand and Loki knew that there was no backing away from his mother's order. "Alright," he agreed. Natalia could wait just a little longer.

"Is everything alright, Loki?" Frigga questioned. He shook his head, only further worrying the queen. "Loki…" she breathed. "Your father and I love you very much. You are my son, Loki." She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

Loki fought back the urge to pull his hand away. As much as he loved Frigga, he still felt uneasy knowing that she wasn't his true birth mother. Loki just needed time to think and clear his head. He would forgive Frigga, but not Odin. Asgard's King was forever his enemy. The man had no right to hide Loki's identity, all while telling him stories of how evil the frost giants were and leading a naïve Loki into believing that he could be King. Thinking about it made Loki's blood boil.

"Loki?"

Frigga's calming voice brought him out of his spiteful thoughts. "Shall we enjoy our breakfast?" he asked her with a small smile.

* * *

><p>Frigga observed Loki as he stuffed his mouth with a spoonful of berries, followed by a large bite of bread, then a swig of wine to wash it all down. He was always more mindful of his manners when eating, even when dining alone. Now, he was inhaling his food as though he was Thor. "Am I keeping you from something?" she finally asked after he swallowed.<p>

Loki shook his head. "Not at all," he easily lied. "I am hungry, is all." He became careful about taking smaller bites.

"What say we find a new spell today?" Frigga offered. "For old time's sake?"

The raven-haired god paused to take a long sip of wine. Frigga was certainly keeping him backed into a corner. Nonetheless, Loki always managed to weasel his way out of trouble. "I planned on taking a walk along the waters to meditate. How about later this evening?" Not that he would be returning.

"That sounds lovely," Frigga beamed.

Loki nodded and excused himself from breakfast. He didn't lie to Frigga about taking a walk. He was taking a walk, alright. A walk straight down the Bifrost towards the observatory. "Heimdall," Loki announced once inside the golden dome. "You remember Natalia, correct?" he asked. "I need to visit her."

The guard kept a stoic expression on his face as the prince approached. "I do not think it wise, my Prince."

"Are you denying me of my request?" Loki angrily asked.

Heimdall shook his head. "Time is different on Midgard. Are you aware of that?"

"Of course I am," he scoffed. "Now take me to where Natalia is!"

Heimdall granted the boy's order. He knew that he truly didn't understand the concept of time between the realms. Not yet, at least…

* * *

><p>Loki found himself surrounded by a crowd of elegantly dressed people. He looked all around, but there didn't seem to be a little red-head in sight, just adults. The crowd began moving towards a set of open doors and Loki was forced to move along with the flow. He glanced down at himself to admire the black suit he was wearing. The formal Midgardian attire was very much to his liking. As he neared the doors, he paused to gawk at a poster featuring a painting of a lovely red-headed woman. 'Natalia Romanova, starring in Swan Lake,' the poster read. Loki had to push past several people so he could stare at the poster without being urged to move forward. <em>Natalia Romanova<em>… The woman in the painting wasn't the little girl he had just met. As familiar as the face looked, it wasn't the broken little girl he had encountered… Just how much of a time difference was there between their worlds? He was gone for less than half of a day! Was that all it took for her to become a grown woman? Loki reentered the line of people entering the performance hall. He wanted a closer look.

The show soon began and music echoed throughout the opera house. Loki was far from the stage, but he had a clear view of everything that was happening. A group of women dressed in white tutus came dancing onto the stage. There was only one, however, that Loki could focus on.

Natalia danced across the stage, mesmerizing the god in the audience with her fluid motions and graceful poise. Loki didn't dare blink in fear of missing a single second. Her body moved in time with the music, the crescendos , the diminuendos. There were no words, but the music playing to Natalia's dance conveyed more emotion than words could ever express. Loki had never experienced so many emotions at once before. There was pain, joy, sadness, love, jealousy… Within Natalia's dance, he immediately sensed that tormented little girl who knew what it meant to be unmade.

When the performance ended, Loki rose to applaud, just as everyone else in the audience did. Natalia left the stage after a final bow and Loki was determined to catch her. He hurried to the darkest corner and while the audience began to leave, Loki took himself backstage in hopes of finding the ballerina.

A line of dancers brushed past the god, making their way towards a room at the end of the hall. Loki eagerly followed and stopped as he caught sight of Natalia's reflection in the dressing room's mirror. He chose to keep his distance, observing her as she wiped her face clean with a damp cloth. Standing so close allowed for him to get a good look at her face. The hint of childishness remained in her face, assuring him that she hadn't aged too drastically. Whoever had painted the portrait of her did no justice for her beauty whatsoever.

She removed a hair-tie binding the tight bun atop her head and let her medium-length curls spill down her back. Loki took another step away from the door as Natalia focused her stare into the mirror. One thing Loki admired was the light within her bright green eyes. Had she finally found happiness despite her dark past? If she had managed to find joy, then there was hope for Loki.

She approached the door and began to shut it, forcing Loki to act quickly. "Wait!" he called out. He didn't want to waste another second. What if she left without giving him a chance to speak? "Natalia…"

The woman froze, half of her face hidden behind the dressing room door. Natalia knew that voice. It was one that she had briefly heard, but she vowed to never forget it. "Loki…" She opened the door, pulling her robe closer as she stepped out to greet her visitor.

Loki's grin widened at the sound of her voice. His name had never sounded so lovely.

"It's you…" After nearly a decade, his face hadn't aged a day.

"Forgive me for leaving you, Natalia," Loki apologized. His chest felt constricted beneath his coat.

She shook her head, taking another step closer. "You gave me hope that day. I really thought you were going to take me somewhere safe…"

"Time affects our worlds very differently, I am afraid…"

Natalia failed to hesitate as she smacked him across the cheek. "Then you shouldn't have given a child false hope!"

Loki knew he deserved that. He had lied to her and that was something he wouldn't forgive himself for. "Natalia, I-" Before he could finish, the woman had grabbed his lapels and pulled his body forward as her lips merged with his. Loki hummed as her soft lips desperately kissed him.

Natalia ended the kiss as suddenly as it began. "And that's for saving me from the bad men…"

"I never saved you," he breathed. "I betrayed you…" he said, bowing his head.

"No." Natalia reached out to cup his cheek. "You gave me the courage to fight them. Back then, I was terrified of what would happen if I so much as touched one of them," she admitted. "But then you came and I threw caution to the wind. Who knows what I would've become if I was stuck there…"

"I made you a killer."

"You made me stronger."

Loki admired the look of determination in her eyes. She had changed for the better. The grimy and underfed Natalia was no more. Standing before him was a changed woman, proud and content with her life. "Are you happy?" he abruptly asked.

Natalia smiled for him and shrugged. "One audition and I snatched the lead role. I'd say I'm feeling pretty good."

Loki chuckled softly.

"What about you?" Even after so many years, the man still had a look of sadness hidden in his eyes.

"I am relieved to see that you are well," he divulged. "Where I come from, half a day has passed since our first encounter. You could say that I am still in a bit of shock…"

"Where _are_ you from?" she prodded, brows furrowed in confusion. "I remember you were a magician… Is this all an act?"

Loki summoned a rose into his hand and presented it to Natalia. "Let me show you," he kindly smiled. "Will you join me?" he asked, offering her his hand.

Natalia eyed the bright red rose before staring into Loki's emerald orbs. "I'm ready to find happiness," she mused.

"Heimdall!" Loki called out. "We are ready!"

Natalia looked around, curious as to who he was talking to. Light began to filter up from the floor and she tightly held Loki's hand as strange markings formed. "Loki, what…?" The god's body began to fade and suddenly, she could no longer feel the cool grasp of his hand. "Loki!"

He watched as his body started to disappear while Natalia remained unaffected. "Heimdall, no!" he shouted. He desperately reached for the woman's hand, only to have it phase through hers. "Natalia!" His fearful eyes bore into hers until he found himself lost in the swirling cosmos.

"We cannot allow a Midgardian into Asgard," Heimdall's deep voice ordered.

Loki whirled around, angered by the betrayal. "I made her a promise! Take me back!" the young god demanded.

"This was a bad idea," Heimdall admitted. "Forgive me, my prince, but I cannot allow for you to see her again. I will continue to look out for her at your request."

"No!" Loki snapped. "I need to see her! I'll stay if I have to!" The fear of Natalia's time quickly passing by made Loki grow desperate. How many days had passed on Midgard by now? The longer he waited, the shorter her lifespan became. "Heimdall!" he cried out.

"What in the nine realms has gotten into you?!" Odin's voice resonated throughout the dome, making every muscle in Loki's body tense.

"My King," Heimdall began, "I have made the mistake of allowing your son to travel Midgard. I swear to never make the mistake ever again…"

"Damn you!" Loki snarled at the guard.

"Loki!" Odin smacked the boy's shoulder with his staff. "Let us return home," he ordered.

"I refuse to leave," Loki said through clenched teeth.

Odin narrowed his good eye at the trickster. "Unless you wish for me to keep you from Midgard forever, you are to follow me!"

Loki obeyed, only because he couldn't bear the thought of being away from Natalia. The woman had grown on him even though he barely knew her. As he walked behind Odin, he reminisced about how beautiful she had become and how sweet her lips tasted against his.

Frigga happened to notice her husband and youngest son pass by and feared for the worst. "What happened?" Oddly enough, Loki didn't look upset. His head seemed to be off in the clouds.

"He is to be kept watch over at all times!" Odin ordered. "His travels to Midgard are to cease."

This snapped Loki back to reality. "I made a promise that I do not intend to break! Who was it that taught me to be a man of my word in the first place?!"

"You made that mortal a murderer!" Odin shouted, making Frigga gasp.

"No…" Loki exhaled.

"I trust Heimdall's word over yours," the King coldly stated. "This was your second trip, was it not?"

"He _told _you?!" Loki scoffed.

"Heimdall tell me everything… Especially when it involves you teaching a mortal child to kill!"

"Loki?" Frigga worriedly asked.

The raven-haired god furiously shook his head. "I saved her life!"

"In doing so, she followed your example by murdering," Odin added.

"That isn't what happened!" Loki fought back. "She was suffering!"

"I will have no more of this, Loki! By tomorrow, she could be as good as dead. A mortal's life is but a blink of an eye for us gods!"

Frigga wasn't trying to pick sides, but after seeing the pained look in Loki's eyes at her husband's remark, she knew that things had been taken too far. "That is enough, my King! Loki, won't you tell me what happened?" she softly asked.

Loki had already ran off, his body trembling with rage. The old man had no right to speak about Natalia that way. Some king he was to not care about those living in other realms. He did away with the casual suit and let his Asgardian attire clothe him. What use did he have for Midgardian fashion if he couldn't go there?

"Loki!" Frigga ran after her youngest, her heels clacking against the marble floor.

He came to a halt at the stair case, punching the banister out of frustration.

"You are not a child, Loki," she warned, reaching for his arm.

"Don't touch me!" he stubbornly muttered.

"What's this about a woman?" Frigga playfully wondered. "You seem awfully attached…"

Loki refused to meet his mother's gaze. "I see myself in her. Like myself, she knows what it means to suffer. And now, because of my leaving her, we both understand what it is like to be lied to…"

"Oh, Loki…You know that your Father and I lied because we love you. We didn't mean to hide who you are."

"Mother…" Loki stared at her with wide, pleading eyes. "Please let me see her. I will take Thor's place! His banishment was a result of my doing!" he openly admitted.

Odin's mentioning of killing made the queen worry. She didn't think Loki was capable of murder. Was telling Loki the truth driving him to madness? The last thing Frigga wanted was for her son to walk down the wrong path.

"She was treated horribly," Loki began. "A child… Unfed and dirty, no parents, no heavy clothing to protect her from the cold… She seems to be faring much better now, but she has lived an awful life. I only killed her tormenters to free her. She was grateful for what I did," Loki informed the queen. "I find no fault in my choice to aid her."

"You know that I cannot go against your Father's word…"

"All I ask is that you allow for me to stay on Midgard. I have made my decision. Asgard is my home no longer," he declared, confident in his choice. "If I remain here, she could be dead by morning…"

"That's no way to talk," Frigga warned. "I will talk to your Father. You heart is in the right place, Loki," she smiled. "I will assure him of that." She firmly squeezed his hand before leaving his side.

Loki heavily sighed as he watched her leave. Knowing Odin, he wouldn't change his mind. Not for a _frost giant_… There was only one way Loki would ever get to see Natalia again, and that was if he took matters into his own hands. He could easily teleport himself from one place to another. It required a deal of magic, and he could only imagine the toll his body would take for transporting himself into another realm. To see her again would make it all worthwhile, though. Loki hurried up to his room, slamming the chamber door shut behind him. "Natalia," he said under his breath. All of his thoughts focused on her. Her hair, her voice, the way her lips curled up when she smiled at him, their kiss… Loki's body felt like lead as his magic coursed through his veins.

* * *

><p>"What the hell are you doing here?!"<p>

Loki recognised that voice. "N…" He was so physically drained that his eyes refused to open.

"You idiot…"

He finally managed to open his eyes to a world of pure white that made the red of Natalia's fiery hair stand out. For all he knew, it could've been a dream, but the warmth of her fingers against his skin told him how real it all was.

"Loki?" she hissed, slapping him across the face.

He groaned as he felt his body gradually coming back to life. "I've found you." Thankfully, she looked the same as she had at the performance, only her hair was a tad longer as it draped over her shoulders in a disarray.

A gunshot rang out in the distance. "We need to hurry before they come!" she said quickly. "Thank God you're here, because I really need your help," she admitted, sharply exhaling as she stood up.

Loki's body ached as he got up, brushing the snow away from his leather garments. "What's happening?"

"I'm sure as hell not a ballerina anymore," she remarked, gripping her rifle. "Now move! If they spot us, we're dead!"

The god dumbly nodded as he let Natalia lead the way through a snowy forest.


	3. Chapter 3

"I do apologise for running late," Loki began, keeping a close eye on Natalia as he walked behind her. Twice now, the woman needed to stop and take a deep breath before continuing to walk. "The man who played himself off as my father has forbid me to see you."

"Yet you found me anyways," she lightly chuckled.

"Once I regain my strength, I intend on taking you somewhere safe."

"Safe would be good."

"Is everything alright, Natalia? Where are we going?" Loki asked as she stopped by a thick tree.

"I've been used, Loki," Natalia admitted, leaning back against the tree. She buried her hands deep into her coat's pockets. "The Red Room-that's the program that had taken me in as a child… We may have killed three men, but there are others just like them keeping close tabs on me. I began to realize it after a man stopped by to congratulate my night's performance… He never said who he was, but he reeked of the chemicals I was injected with…"

"And you ran away?" Loki guessed.

"Yes. I settled down in a new town and even found a husband." She noticed Loki clench his fists at his sides. "We weren't really married… War had broken out and everyone was forced to leave town. The two of us were lucky since we were skilled fighters. We saw many of our friends die from enemy fire. There were times we thought we would die, too."

Loki watched her with heartbroken eyes. If only he could have come sooner…

"Knowing that any day could be our last, we professed our love and said our vows to one another… The war soon quieted, allowing for us to settle down... But that peace didn't last long. He went out one night and never returned. I heard the next morning that another war had begun and I was forced to leave my home." She paused and tightly shut her eyes. "I knew he was dead. The idiot… Leaving me like this…"

"If it hurts, don't force yourself to continue," Loki gently urged.

Natalia shook her head as she shot him a sideways smirk. "Tell me when your magic returns," she said as she carefully lowered herself onto the ground, using the tree for support.

Loki knelt before her, concerned by the lack of grace in her movements. "Are you injured?"

She began to laugh as she folded her arms around a bulge beneath her wool coat. "I need to rest a bit before we continue. My doctor is just past this forest." She closed her eyes and rested the back of her head against the tree's trunk.

"Natalia, what happened?!" Loki demanded.

"What does it look like?" she teased. "Did you think I was hiding supplies under here?"

He noticed the way the fabric of her heavy coat hugged her round middle and he shook his head. "You are with child?" he asked in disbelief.

"Not for much longer," she managed in between a sharp intake of breath. "Help me up," she ordered, grabbing his hand.

"No!" Loki scolded. "We wait until my magic is stronger. There are healers on Asgard who-"

"My midwife is closer than your 'Asgard,'" she reminded him.

"Was there no shelter elsewhere? This is foolish, reckless-"

"Do you think I _asked_ for my baby to come now?!" she snapped at him.

Loki forced himself to remain calm, despite the nerves that he was beginning to feel. "I'll carry you. How far away is it?"

"Not too far," she answered. "The fighting is a ways away, so we should still be safe." Loki's arms surrounded her and before she could apologise for her weight, he had lifted her up as though she was a small child.

He began to run, dodging low branches and patches of ice along the way. Loki only stopped when Natalia cried out a stream of curses.

"Put me down!" she hissed. His running made her uncomfortable as a contraction hit.

"We need to get you to safety, fir-"

"_Down!_"

Loki had no choice but to obey the command. He set her down on the soft snow and helplessly watched her fight through the pain. This wasn't what he had signed up for. Then again, without him, she would end up delivering her child in the freezing cold.

Natalia hunched forward, fingers digging into the snow, as she swore in her native tongue under her breath.

"This is no place for you to bear a child, Natalia," Loki sternly warned her. "This is foolish!" He helped her up, only to have her double forward into his arms.

Natalia felt the stabbing pains grow worse. "Can you start a fire?"

"Natalia…" His voice began to falter as he watched her features contort in pain. "Please don't tell me this is happening now…"

"We won't make it…" She gripped a leather strap across his chest as she tried to breathe.

Loki ignored her comment as he hoisted her back into his arms and ran as fast as his legs would carry him. Natalia's whimpers forced him to push forward despite the burning in his lungs and the pain in his legs. Regaining his magic was the least of his worries. They finally reached a break in the trees and soon enough, Loki was able to spot civilization in the distance.

A strong gust of wind formed before the couple and Loki held onto Natalia for dear life. Loki half-opened his eyes as snow blew straight into his face. He was able to make out the silhouette of a man, one who Loki wasn't in any mood to deal with.

"You returned against my word!" Odin glowered. The wind became less violent as he approached the trickster.

"I need to get her to safety! Can you not see that she is in pain?!"

"Put her down, Loki," Odin warned with an uncaring look in his eye. "You aren't to meddle in Midgardian affairs!" With that, the All-Father struck the trickster in the shoulder with a bolt of lightning.

Loki stumbled backwards, bringing Natalia down with him.

"Sorry," she muttered after her body crashed against his.

Loki shook his head, jaw clenched as he tried to fight the searing pain in his shoulder.

"Enough fooling around. Heimdall!" Odin bellowed.

Loki saw his body begin to disappear while Natalia once again remained unaffected. "N-no!" he cried. "No!" He stared into Natalia's tearful eyes as their worlds separated.

Loki smacked his fist against the golden floor as he and the All-Father were taken back to Heimdall's domain.

"Father!" Thor shouted. "What is the meaning of this?! I have yet to prove myself worthy!"

"'Prove yourself worthy?'" Odin scoffed. "Your time on Midgard has been spent growing fond of a mortal!" He summoned Thor's hammer into his hand and presented it to his true son. "I have been informed that it was Loki who forced you into this mess. Blame Loki for putting a stop to your coronation all due to his need for mischief."

"Loki?" Thor's expression darkened as he turned towards his brother.

"Unlike you, his banishment will need to be lived out in the dungeons," Odin stated. "To think that both of my sons would choose a mortal. Do Asgardian women not please you?"

"_You_ brought those Jotun monsters into our home!" The god of thunder stormed over to his brother and forced him to his feet. "Has your jealousy become so great?"

Loki forced himself to chuckle. "Thor has found love? Well, you're quite welcome for that! By all means, find the girl and make her queen!" he snorted, noticing Odin's eye twitch.

"This is not a game!" Thor punched his brother in the jaw, wiping away the smirk across his lips.

"Hurry back and retrieve her, Thor," Loki warned. "She could be an old hag if you wait any longer." His thoughts returned to Natalia, alone in the snow with a child ready to be born.

"Enough!" The blond summoned Mjolnir into his hand and struck Loki in the gut.

Loki fell onto his back, clutching his middle and wondering if his pain was anything like what Natalia suffered through.

"Think of the deaths your actions could have caused!"

"Find the girl, Thor," Loki managed as he staggered upright. "We shall go together!" he encouraged.

Thor scowled. "There are more pressing matters, Brother! Those **monsters**-"

'Monsters…' There it was again. "Do you think them all monsters?" Loki wondered. He already knew Thor's answer. They had been raised on story after story of how cruel the Jotun race was. Destruction, bloodshed, chaos…

"Do you wish to defend them?!"

Loki clenched, then unclenched a fist. He felt his true nature begin to emerge, and instead of fighting it, Loki let it show. A pale blue started at his fingertips, then spread up his arm. "Take a good look, _Odin_son!" he spat. Loki felt ice coursing through his veins. Thor's wide eyes told him that his transformation was complete. "Take a good look… Are you surprised?" he asked. "A shame your mother and father kept this hidden from us…"

"What is happening?" Thor wondered if his eyes were deceiving him. Seeing his beloved brother with blood red orbs haunted him. He quickly turned to his father, awaiting an explanation.

"This is _exactly _what it seems!" Loki growled."Do I frighten you?" He summoned a staff into his hand and swung it at Thor's neck.

Odin slammed his own staff into the ground. "Loki, enough!"

"Or what, _Father?_ You'll banish me?" he taunted.

"A lifetime in the dungeon awaits you. Don't think I will be so kind as to allow you to stay on Midgard."

"Seal my power! What good will I be, then?!" Loki demanded as he approached the King.

"Midgard is small," Odin noted. "There are ways for you to travel about."

"Does my affection for a mortal trouble you so much? Why bother with a man who isn't even your son? Or does my chance at happiness upset you?" Loki seethed.

"Your reckless actions could have gotten our people killed. Not only that, but you struck a deal with the enemy to begin with!"

"It was all in good fun," Loki assured him. Odin turned and began to leave the observatory. "Until I learned that my ties to the enemy were closer than I had imagined…" He stormed after the All-Father as they made their way down the Bifrost. "You've grown colder since telling me of my parentage," Loki informed the King.

"And you have grown fond of meddling in Midgardian affairs," Odin retorted, turning on his heel to face the Jotun. "That child will grow to become a murderer, modeled after the beast she learned from!"

Loki felt his heart drop into the pit of his stomach. The man who had raised and claimed to love him would go so far as to refer to his child as a beast.

"The lives she takes will be reflected on your own ledger," the All-Father continued.

"Natalia is no murderer!" Loki chose to embrace his cruel nature as he lunged at the King.

Lucky for Odin, the mighty Thor was there to play hero. The blond got between the two before any further damage could be done. "What has come over you, Loki?" Thor asked with a hint of despair in his voice. "Fight this!"

"I can't!" the Jotun shouted.

"Yes. You can," Thor promised with a determined growl. "Let us find Mother. She will know how to resolve this peacefully…"

Loki rolled his eyes and jabbed his staff into Thor's side. "She will only take heed of what her husband has to say. Which, of course, will end in me living in a cage!"

"Your need to see this woman has poisoned you!" Odin remarked. "There is no need to fight over a woman who is no more."

Loki froze at the King's words. "'No more…'"

"She is dead," Odin stated simply enough. "Even if you found her safety, she still would have been carried away in childbirth."

Loki's mouth fell open and the staff slipped from his fingers. "She's dead?" he choked out. His Jotun features disappeared and his skin turned to an unnaturally pale shade of ivory.

Thor wasn't aware of what was happening, but seeing the light leave his brother's eyes frightened him. "I'm sorry…Loki?"

The trickster sprinted towards the observatory, only to have Odin appear before him to block the path. "Why do you insist on returning?"

"I will go to Helheim!" Loki declared. "I intend to find her soul and stay with her."

"You will give up an immortal life just for her?" Odin cautiously asked.

"She and I are one. I can feel it," Loki breathed.

"Thor, restrain him!" Odin ordered.

The thunder god was just as confused as his brother. Nonetheless, he obeyed by wrapping his arms around Loki's middle, letting Mjolnir press against Loki's chest.

"Life isn't something to throw away so selfishly…" Odin turned his back to his children and tapped his staff into the ground. The rainbow colours of the Bifrost started to disappear as a thin crack formed before the All-Father's feet.

"What are you doing?" Loki asked, slowly growing frantic.

"I will bind your magic so you have no chance of bringing yourself into the afterlife." The aged king outstretched his hand and thunder rumbled in the clouds above.

"Father, this is madness!" Thor watched as the bridge began to crack. He wanted to let go of Loki to try to stop his father, but if Loki escaped his hold, then he would never see him again. Even as a Frost Giant, Thor refused to leave his brother's side.

A bolt of lightning struck the bridge, forcing large chunks to go flying all around.

"No!" Loki screamed. "What are you doing?!" he cried, his voice lost amongst another lightning strike. "If you destroy the bridge I'll never see her again!" A pained sob escaped his throat as lightning ate away at a good portion of the Bifrost.

Unable to stand his brother's sobs, Thor released his hold over Loki, only it was too late.

Loki's knees gave in and he fell to the ground feeling weak and powerless. Natalia was gone, as was his only connection to her. Once his magic was restrained, then there would be no hope. "I grow tired of letting my misery fuel your pleasure." Knees shaking, Loki forced himself to rise.

"Loki?" Thor asked as his brother approached the edge of the bridge to stare up at the stars.

"All I wanted was to know someone who understands my pain…" The heels of Loki's boots were the only part of him to touch the Bifrost. He clearly wasn't wanted on Asgard. The All-Father wanted to lock him away and Thor believed him to be a monster… Death seemed to be the only way for Loki to get what he wanted. If that was the option, then so be it. "Natalia…" he breathed as he stepped over the edge.

"Loki, no!" Thor shouted. He made a lunge for his brother, but it was too late.

He was gone. Disappeared into the dark abyss…

**A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews, follows, and faves, guys! Part of 'The Name of the Rose' was inspiration for this chapter. And the Bifrost destruction was based on a prompt by the awesome futurerustfuture-dust.**


	4. Chapter 4

_"__Loki!"_

_Natalia._ She was crying out to him, yet he couldn't see her. Loki couldn't _see _anything…

_"__Loki!" _

Her voice sounded hoarse from screaming. Loki opened his eyes to see nothing but darkness. His lips began to move, but words failed him. The god's entire body was paralyzed and it terrified him. He tried to move, but his limbs wouldn't listen. 'Na…'

A sharp intake of air forced Loki to bolt upright. He flexed his shaking hands to see that he was finally able to move again. Looking around, the god had no clue where he was. The afterlife? But where was Natalia? Where was _everyone?_

Loki rose to his feet and walked straight ahead into the abyss. "Natalia?" he called out.

_"__There is no need to fight over a woman who is no more,"_ Odin's voice warned.

Loki whipped his head around, but failed to find the All-Father. His voice was so clear. Loki was certain that he didn't imagine it.

"You lied to me…"

The raven-haired god turned his head and saw young Natalia standing in the snow, a gun in her hand and blood staining her already dirtied hospital gown. "Have I returned to the past?" he wondered.

"You **lied!**" she growled.

"No…" Loki knelt before the small girl and reached out to embrace her. She suddenly vanished from his touch, making the god grow frantic.

_"__You lied to me about finding happiness…"_

"Natalia?" Loki's voice was shaky as he spoke. "Where did you go? Natalia, please don't leave me…"

_"__Like how _you _left _**me**_?" _Her voice had changed from that of a girl to a young woman.

"I never wanted to leave you! I swear it!" Loki's head began to scream, making it feel like his skull was splitting in two. "Natalia…" He grabbed fistfuls of his short, dark hair and pulled as Natalia's screams echoed in his mind. "S…Stop it!" he begged. She continued to cry out for him and all the god could imagine was her sprawled out in the snow as death approached her. "S-" Loki fell back on his heels, but instead of smacking against the ground, he continued to fall…

* * *

><p>When Loki finally hit solid ground, he found himself trapped behind a glass wall. Before him was a Midgardian graveyard covered with snow. Stone graves were spread throughout, but there was only one that stood out to Loki. Natalia Romanova… Was that woman going to haunt him forever? Finding her had to be the biggest mistake of his life. Had he known how fleeting her life was, he would have left her alone. Why did he have to suffer so much over her? His heart had already shattered with no time for it to heal. In such a short period of time, Loki had lost his family, the mysterious red-head, and his purpose…<p>

Who was he? He was no King, simply an illegitimate heir. A monster… Perhaps throwing himself off the Bifrost was the best choice. Living in Thor's shadow would have driven him over the edge sooner or later. Had he been allowed to stay on Midgard, none of this would have happened. Gods forbid that he found any joy in life!

His head began to pound, forcing Loki to sit right back down. He squeezed his eyes shut, praying that Natalia's grave wasn't the only thing his eyes would be subjected to.

* * *

><p>Loki was thankful when he opened his eyes to see Natalia dancing to the music of what he recalled to be <em>Swan Lake. <em>"Natalia!" Being alone in the auditorium, the god was sure that she could hear him. Only she didn't. She continued her graceful dance, all while ignoring Loki's presence. Loki descended the set of stairs in between aisles of empty seats to approach the stage. "Natalia!" he shouted when he drew nearer. Either it was his imagination, or the music had grown louder. "Natalia?" The center stage stood taller than Loki, so he easily hopped up onto the wooden platform that stood between he and the red-head.

Not once did the ballerina break focus as Loki approached her. She danced as if she was a machine acting on given orders.

"Natalia?" Loki grabbed her arm and casually pulled her body close to his chest as the music hit a crescendo. Her muscles tensed beneath his touch. "Have I frightened you?" he chuckled. A finger brushed a stray curl from her face as he allowed for their gaze to meet. Finally, he was reunited with the woman. "Nata…" Loki's breath caught in his throat as her glazed over eyes bore into his. Blood trickled from the corner of her bluish lips and Loki pushed her away out of fear. Her stiff body hit the ground with a heavy thud. In that moment, the music ceased to play…

* * *

><p>"Who are you?" A deep voice called out.<p>

Loki's eyes flickered open. He was grateful that the voice didn't belong to anyone he knew. The madness was already kicking in after all of his visions of Natalia. To hear a stranger's voice was a blessing to his ears. "Where am I?" he wondered aloud as he rose to his feet, brushing off bits of pebbles and dust from his garments.

"Have you come to die?"

The god glanced up to find a titan clad in blue and gold armor relaxing upon a raised throne. Even sitting, the creature towered over Loki. Despite the alien's purple and wrinkled face, Loki's eyes found themselves fixed on a massive gauntlet that protected the titan's left hand. It matched perfectly to the one he had seen hidden away in Odin's private collection. Loki was sure that this was the partner to Odin's glove.

The large alien noticed the way in which the lowly man gawked at his gloved hand. His eyes weren't giving off a lustful stare that men usually gave the gauntlet. No, this man looked upon it with an air of familiarity… "Does my treasure intrigue you?" he asked in a deep voice. He flexed his hand and Loki's eyes quickly met with his.

"I see it has lost a partner," Loki casually noted.

"I take it you know of the location?"

As much as Loki would have loved to rat out Odin, he feared that it would have been a wasted opportunity. "What would you say to a friendly wager?" he asked, a confident smirk across his lips. Loki couldn't recall the last time he had felt so in control. It was time, once again, to put his silver tongue to good use. "I have heard storied of the gauntlet you seek. The wearer is granted power beyond imagination…"

"I already possess the power of ten gods, maybe more," the titan grinned. "Which is why I desire more."

So this man had power. Or was he all talk? "Ten gods, you say?" Loki asked. "Prove to me your power, and I will grant you what you seek."

"So you _do _know its whereabouts?"

"Threaten me all you like, but I won't tell," Loki promised. "Kill me, and you will never find it…"

"What is it you seek?" He lifted himself up from his throne and made his way down a flight of granite steps before looming over the god.

Loki paused as he stared into the creature's beady red eyes. He could have asked for Natalia, for a way back home, maybe even a family who wouldn't betray him… Instead, Loki chose an answer that would let him have his cake and eat it too. "Power," he answered. "I have worlds to visit, yet the powers I possess are not enough. Even with a small fraction of your power, I will be free to travel where I please while still having the energy to bring you the gauntlet you seek."

"And if you betray me?" he warily asked.

"Then Asgard's royal family will be at your mercy. Make them your slaves, kill them… whatever will please you."

"'Royal family!'" he scoffed. "Who are _you _to speak for them?"

Loki shot him a cold glare. "As Loki Odinson, second in line to the throne of Asgard, I speak for the All-Father, King Odin."

"Second in line, you say?" he asked, arching his brow line.

"The throne could very well be yours if I betray you," Loki added. "Believe me, the throne of Asgard isn't something I wish to give up," he admitted, clenching his fists at his sides.

"Very well, then." He opened his gloved palm and an intense light emanated, forcing Loki to turn away. "I, Thanos of the Eternals, will hereby accept the son of Odin's bargain."

The blindingly white light faded and Loki saw a golden scepter being presented to him. His eyes lit up when he saw a shining blue gem affixed to the top. The blue stone's glow reflected against the scepter's silver-tipped daggers, giving off an eerie and strong aura. Loki reached for the scepter and straightened his back as he felt a surge of confidence rush through his body. This wasn't some hand-me down of Thor or an old dagger that his Mother had been keeping for centuries. This was something made especially for Loki under his command, and Loki knew just how he intended to use it.

"I will give you one day's time to marvel in your new power," Thanos warned. "When your time is up, I will find you and expect to be given what is truly mine…"

"Very well," Loki promised. "You have my word…" He turned on his heel and tightened his grip around the scepter. "Is there a way I can save you from your fate, Natalia?" he breathed. The azure gem brightened as if it understood exactly what Loki had requested.

* * *

><p>"I've got a clear shot of her, Director."<p>

Loki stared straight ahead to find a man with messy sandy hair posing with a bow and arrow. A quick scan of his surroundings told Loki that they were both atop a tall building. He approached the archer, curious as to why he was here. Where was the snow? The trees? Natalia? How was he to save her if he couldn't even recognise where he was?

"She's on the move again. I think she knows we've got our men tailing behind her," the blond commented aloud.

Loki quietly crept behind the stranger, holding his breath so he could know what was happening. Surely enough, at least sixty stories down, was a red head of hair. "Natalia?" Was this even further into her past? His skilled eyes were able to catch her defined facial features. Her narrow jaw and a cold emptiness in her eyes told Loki that this wasn't a younger Natalia. Had Odin lied about her death? Of course… Loki's knuckled turned white from the intensity in which he grasped his staff. Leave it to _him _to lie again…

"Who the hell are you?" The archer turned, now pointing an arrow at Loki.

The god snarled at the man and let the steel tip of his scepter press against the man's chest. "What business do you have involving Natalia?" he barked.

The familiar blue hue of Loki's gem washed away all traces of blue-green from the archer's eyes. "Natalia Romanova," he began in a daze. "I'm sent to kill her," he replied, unblinking.

Loki watched as the man's lifeless and bright blue eyes bore into his own. He glanced at his staff and admired how the gem was bursting with life. Was this all his doing? His power… He returned his attention back to the blond. "Kill her?" he repeated, pressing the sharp tip deeper against the blond's black vest.

"Director Fury's orders," the man droned. "She's a threat to S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Don't kill her!" Loki threatened. "Under _my _orders, she is to live! Do you understand?" Loki asked in a low growl.

The man dumbly nodded as he reached up to touch his ear. "I couldn't do it, sir."

Satisfied, Loki pulled the staff away and stepped back.

"She needs to live," the blond continued, suddenly more in control of his actions. Feeling as if he was being watched, he scanned his surroundings, only to find that he was alone. "I don't know why, but… she needs to live…"

Loki had scurried off, jumping into an abandoned alleyway before donning a casual suit ensemble. He stepped out from the alley just in time to see Natalia approaching. He took a step forward, only to be jerked backwards. Loki didn't have a chance to react before he found himself back in Thanos' realm. "You gave me one day!" he snapped.

"Time flows differently in my world. I would like what is mine _now!_" Thanos barked.

Loki scowled as the titan's hand released his arm. Because of his interruption, time on Midgard was ticking away. At least Loki knew that Natalia was alive.

"The gauntlet,' he stated.

Loki nodded. "You will find it on Asgard amongst the King's private collections. Don't fret-I've seen with my own eyes that the King has taken excellent care of it."

"Then bring it to me."

"I would, but I would much rather see you bring down the King!" Loki chuckled. "I also recommend bringing an army with you," he jokingly added seeing that Thanos seemed to work alone. "Asgard is heavily guarded by hundreds of gods…" Loki bowed his head before vanishing before Thanos' eyes.

"Your betrayal will be your demise!" Thanos cursed under his breath.


	5. Chapter 5

"Natalia?" Loki found himself lost in an enveloping darkness. The only light was the faint blue glow from his scepter. His eyes quickly adjusted to his surroundings, the first thing he saw being the glimmer of something being pointed directly towards him. The god breathed a sigh of relief when his eyes found Natalia's. He took a step forward, only to freeze as he heard a faint _click._

"One step and I'll blow your brains out!" the woman threatened.

Loki felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach. "Do you not recognise me, Natalia?"

"How the fuck did you get in my room?" she demanded, shifting in her bed to get a better look at the stranger. The voice was painfully familiar-the woman had promised herself that she would never forget it.

The god focused on the gun, still pointed directly at his head. "There is no one keeping me from you anymore, Natalia. I won't leave." Inside, he was grateful that she hadn't aged too drastically. The most visible change he could make out in the darkness was that her short curls had been cut just above her shoulders. He knelt down to gingerly set his staff on the floor.

"I _want_ you to leave," she stated.

"I am a man of my word," Loki continued. "You and I will find happiness. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Bullshit," she glowered.

"Natalia."

"That's not my name, Loki," she coldly warned him.

"That's an odd thing to say."

"Get. **Out!**"

"Natalia…" Loki stepped forward and the red-head leapt from her bed and charged at him at full speed.

"That's not who I am!" she hissed. A fist punched the god in the gut before she gave him a taste of her Widow's Sting. A gunshot would have caused panic in her apartment building. This was a much quieter way of getting rid of the unwanted guest. She felt her bracelet's taze send a shock throughout the man's body, forcing her to shift her weight as Loki's tall frame lurched forward. He was holding up surprisingly well. The assassin had always known he wasn't quite human, so what was he? If he really was a character straight out of a Norse mythology book, then she was going to need something a hell of a lot stronger than her usual poison.

Loki grabbed her shoulders as a wave of shocks ran throughout his body. "So…" he managed, inhaling the scent of blood intermixed with the pleasant floral scent of her hair, "what is it that I should call you?" A punch to the opening of his ribcage sent Loki toppling backwards until he smacked against the carpeted floor.

She watched him writhe on the ground before returning to bed. "I go by Natasha now," she breathed as she curled up under her sheets. "Natasha Romanoff." She kept her gaze fixed on the god as he staggered upright. This man seemed to appear at the strangest times. And yet…they were just the right times. Where would she be today had he not given her the confidence to stand up to a head of the Red Room? Natasha drew her knees close to her chest, turning her head as he allowed himself to sit on the edge of her bed.

"Natasha," he murmured, savouring the name on his tongue. "What made you decide on such a change?" he wondered.

"A lot's happened," she shrugged, avoiding his gaze.

"Forgive me if I was gone for so long. Odin told me your were dead… Knowing that I can be here with you now is the greatest gift imaginable…" He reached out to touch her hair when the unthinkable crossed his mind. "At least you have had a child to accompany you in my absence." Loki noticed her shoulders tense. Slowly, their eyes met as Natasha shook her head. "What?" he blinked. "Natasha, what is it?"

She needed a moment of silence to let his words sink in. "It died," she quietly managed. How long had it been since she had last thought about the baby? It felt like an eternity. Right when she thought she had forgotten it completely, there it was, bringing an unwanted feeling of sadness with it.

Loki felt a tightness in his chest at the woman's pain. "I…" What was he supposed to say to her? "I am so sorry, Natalia…. I couldn't get you to safety…" He narrowed his eyes, fingers gripping her bed sheets.

"Don't. Loki…" Her hand reached out to stroke his arm. "It's not your fault," she promised. "I should've known something was wrong after I stopped feeling her kick." Natasha knew she wasn't going to be sleeping tonight. She needed something strong right about now. "I'm at fault here. Not you."

"A daughter?" The regret just wouldn't leave him. The weight of the world was on his shoulders as he blamed himself for her loss. "I will fix his," Loki vowed. "The power I was given will allow me to-"

"Get the fuck out!" Natasha snarled, whipping him across the face with her pillow. "I don't want you _'fixing'_ anything! This is my life! Do you hear me?!" Natasha couldn't even remember the last time she lost her temper. She didn't even know why she was getting so worked up over a baby she lost over sixty years ago.

"I can make you happy, Natalia," Loki urged her. "You can go back and dance again-"

"Yeah!" she snapped. "Dance for a crowd of people paid to be there by 'the bad men.'" She rolled her eyes.

"What?" Loki blinked.

Natasha got out of bed and began to pace the bedroom. "That was all a setup to _mock _me. I was never famous. They made me feel special all because I was their favourite toy…" She approached her bureau and grabbed a handle before yanking a set of drawers off its hinges.

"Natasha, please stop this!" He saw her reach for another drawer and in between her Russian curses, he grabbed her shoulders from behind and allowed her to repeatedly punch his chest. "You've suffered so much," he breathed.

Her fist pounded against his chest until it felt numb. Nothing seemed to faze him and that made her even angrier.

"You deserve so much better, Natasha." He noticed the way her nostrils flared as she took heavy, ragged breaths. "Don't try to push me away." He placed a hand on her head and pulled her against his chest. "I know what loneliness is like and it hurts far too much." Loki felt her body trembling beneath his fingertips. Their world fell uncomfortably silent as Loki swore he heard a muffled sob. "Natasha?" His arms wrapped around her so tightly that he was afraid he would break her.

"Stop talking," she warned in an unsteady tone.

Loki loosened his grip around her, eyes staring out towards her window to admire the city's lights illuminating the dark.

"You'll stay," she stated after a deep breath. "Just until I figure out what the hell I'm supposed to do with you."

The god had to suppress a chuckle.

"You need to tell me everything about you, though," Natasha continued. "Starting with whatever the hell you are…"

"A god," he said quietly, turning to meet her gaze. Her eyes still gave him a cold glare, but she didn't look as though she had cried.

"Right…" Natasha strayed from his embrace.

"Where are you going?" Loki warily asked.

"To get a drink," she called back. "Something tells me I'm gonna need one…"

Loki eagerly followed her into the sorry excuse for a kitchen. "Do you not have a dining hall?" he questioned as she flicked on the lights. From what he was seeing, her entire apartment was roughly the size of his bedroom on Asgard.

"What the hell?" she muttered under her breath. "Great, I'm dealing with a spoiled rich kid," she commented as she grabbed an already opened bottle of Merlot from the fridge.

"I don't mind," Loki quickly added as he allowed himself to sit at a tiny dining room table across from the fridge. "Everything is so small, cozy, even…" He tried to imagine what it would be like to live in her home with Frigga, Thor, and Odin. "Or cramped," he grumbled upon further thinking.

Natasha set down a glass of wine before him before taking a seat directly across from him. "It's just me, so this size is perfect."

Loki took a sip of his drink, wrinkling his nose at the taste. Midgardian alcohol had an awful, bitter taste compared to the wine on Asgard… but seeing that Asgard was no longer his home, he decided that this drink would suffice.

"So a god?" Natasha prodded. "Straight from the myths, huh?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Mythology," she said after a sip of her drink. "Stories about you and Thor… He's real, right?" she asked. "Word is that he was just in New Mexico. He just disappeared, though."

"They write stories of us?" Loki snorted. "Tell me, am I as unwanted there as I am on Asgard?"

Natasha paused to stare at his face. His tone told her he was teasing, but the pain in his eyes told the truth. "If I ask, will it explain why you came to me when I was a kid?"

Loki licked his lips as he began picking at his hand. "Though it was years ago in your lifetime, it was very recent in mine," he divulged. "I learned what I am. A Frost Giant…" He forced a smile as Natasha looked at him as though she understood. "A monster," he corrected. "I was raised on stories of how cold-hearted and vile their race was… only to discover that we share the same blood. Frigga and Odin had me fooled ever since I was small."

"They did it to protect you?"

"That's what Mother claims," Loki drawled.

"Maybe she meant it?" Natasha guessed.

Loki rolled his eyes as he drank his wine.

"Why else would they keep you around if they didn't want you?" A low growl from Loki told Natasha to keep quiet.

"Knowing the truth hurt worse than anything," the god continued, eying his wine as he swirled the contents around. "One second, I had a family. Then it was gone… I was so upset that I asked myself if anyone else in all the nine realms shared my pain." He lifted his head to meet Natasha's stare. "It was then that our paths crossed. Odin tried to keep me away-he blamed me for making you a murderer, but I couldn't stay away…"

Natasha would have felt thoroughly creeped out if he wasn't suffering the loss of a family. "And you kept coming back."

"There will be no returning to Asgard, I'm afraid. They must assume I'm dead. Even I was sure that I had reached my end."

His words began to falter and Natasha furrowed her brows. "You tried killing yourself?"

"I _did _kill myself," Loki corrected her as though it wasn't a big deal. "When Odin told me that you were dead, I truly and desperately chose to end it all." He clenched a fist atop the wooden table. "I couldn't bear the thought of you gone…But somehow, I survived. And I found you again…"

Natasha gave him a blank stare for the longest time. Here he was, practically a stranger telling her all about how he killed himself just to be with her. To a naïve girl in love, this would've seemed romantic. Not to Natasha. She honestly didn't know what to think. "You know," she softly began. "I'd most likely be dead if you never came to me when you did. Or maybe I'd still be alive," she shrugged, "who knows… But whatever the case, you helped me when I needed it and I don't know what else to say. Thank you for what you did, but I'm not worth throwing anything away over."

"To me you are," Loki admitted.

"No," she stated. "None of that obsessive attitude," Natasha warned. "You don't know who I am, and you never have."

"Then what are you?" he asked, arching a brow.

"After we killed the men who tortured me, I was a kid fighting to survive. Turns out, there were other people keeping tabs on me. After my big ballet debut, I was able to find some peace. I had a life." She folded her arms across her chest. "Then I lost a baby and had to pull myself together. I was still a target, so I had to fight and kill anyone who got in my way… That put me on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar. They sent an agent to kill me, but he made a different call."

Loki held his breath as she spoke. She didn't know. He saved her life, and she didn't even know…

"Now I'm siding with the good guys. It took years to earn their trust, but I did it…" Natasha saw the way Loki grinned and felt a growing concern.

"The archer," he chuckled.

Natasha's body stiffened.

"Under Director Fury's orders, he was sent to kill you…" Loki cold perfectly recall the blonde's face and the way his bright blue eyes glowed as he revealed to Loki his plans to shoot Natalia down. "He fully intended to kill you," Loki breathed. "My convincing told him otherwise…"

Natasha's chair screeched against the tile as she hopped up onto the table, shattering a wine glass in the process, as her fingers encircled the god's neck, fully prepared to strangle him. "I'm going to let you live long enough to answer me," she growled through bared teeth. "Tell me where the hell the Red Room is sending these agents from! Who's behind this?!"

"Nata-" Loki gagged as her grip tightened. She was stronger than she looked.

"You're one of them…" Her voice began to crack, but she didn't bother fighting it. Natasha didn't know what to think now. As a girl, Loki was her hero. She dreamt of him a countless number of times. He was her hero… But the truth was out. He was nothing more than some mystical lying fraud sent to lure her in and torture her. What more could even be done? Were the weekly injections not enough? Did men still take pride in beating her until a bone cracked? Or violating her adolescent body and lashing her for crying? Was she still just a toy after all these years? "You tell me who sent you or I snap your neck!"

"I'm not one of them, Natalia!" he choked out.

"Then are youbehind all of this?!" she shouted. "So help me God, if you are, I'll make sure you suffer for weeks before I kill you!"

Loki couldn't tear his gaze away from the carnal madness burning in her eyes. He opened his mouth and Natasha loosened her grip to allow him to talk. "If this is what I made you become… then I don't know what to say…" Her eyes were those of a wild animal, cold and uncaring, hungry for the kill. What happened to that little girl with such lost eyes? Or the hopeful ones of a young ballerina? Tears rolled down his cheeks as he stared at the monster he had created. Odin was right. He ruined her… Natasha's fingers loosened as she crawled off of the table to sit in her chair.

Aside from Natasha's unsteady breathing, there was complete silence. "You're not lying to me."

He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself and decided to reply with a nod.

"Tell me you're not with them!" she snapped, glaring daggers at the god.

"I'm not. No."

Natasha rose from her seat and began to walk away. "You can sleep on the couch tonight, but come tomorrow, you're gone."

Loki watched her leave and wondered if he should now so she wouldn't need to bother with him. He sighed, staring at the bits of glass scattered across the kitchen floor. There was nowhere else _to _go. Loki knelt to begin picking up the sharp fragments by hand, piece by piece. For now, he chose to stay.


	6. Chapter 6

After a rough two hours of sleep, Natasha left her bedroom, She wondering if Loki's visit had been a dream, but when she found him curled up on her sofa, she was reminded that this was really happening. It was funny to see that he had actually stayed, rather than have daddy or someone else steal him away. "Loki?" she whispered. As cute and child-like as his sleeping face was, he still had to leave. Natasha couldn't let him stay, especially after the debacle they had gotten into earlier. What if he really _was _associated with the Red Room? All Natasha knew was that she needed to have a talk with Clint about past matters. "Hey." She grabbed a piece of his long coat and pulled, evoking a quiet growl on Loki's end. Natasha tugged harder until his eyes opened and glared in her direction. There was no way he was staying if Natasha was going to act as a babysitter. "You need to leave."

"Are mornings here always this unpleasant?" Loki asked as he shifted upright.

"I have a lot to do today," Natasha informed him. "And looking after you isn't one of them."

"Then you wish for me to leave?" Judging from her crossed arms and furrowed brows, she wasn't happy at all. "When do you wish for me to return? One hundred years from now when you are dying?" he snipped, rising from the couch.

"Is that supposed to imply that I _need_ you?" she scoffed. "Because I don't! I'm sorry time works differently on Asgard, but I hardly know you. You would just come and go and it always pissed me off!"

"Then let this be the moment I choose to stay…" He summoned his scepter into his hand and the blue stone began to glow. "Say the word, Natasha," he breathed. "Tell me where we shall go…"

Natasha shook her head as she turned away. "We can talk about this later. I have a meeting." He was crazier than he looked if he assumed she would pack up and go with a man she viewed as a stranger.

Loki gripped his scepter, scowling as she walked away. "Natasha!" He had been through hell trying to find this woman, and he wasn't ready to let her go.

"Can you just stay here for an hour?" she huffed. "Just let me-"

Shards of glass from the nearby bay window flew towards the two. Natasha shielded her eyes as her body crouched into a defensive position. Loki fought past the whirlwind of glass as he charged at Natasha and shielded her body with his. The fire alarm began to blare and the ceiling sprinklers were set off, spraying the couple with cold water.

Natasha felt Loki's arms gripping her body so tightly that she couldn't breathe. "Loki," she managed. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed thick clouds of smoke and a set of beady red eyes peering out. "What the hell…"

"Thanos?" Loki gasped.

Natasha would have smacked Loki upside the head if she wasn't in potential danger. "You _know _this guy?!"

Two more figures emerged from the smoke, all three with grey muscular bodies clad in gold armor.

"No…" Loki answered once he got a better look at the creatures.

"Who's 'Thanos,' then?" she demanded, eyes locked on the intruders. A golden-eyed alien let out a screech, displaying its yellowed teeth dripping with drool. "You're paying for all of this damage," she muttered as she freed herself of the man's hold and ducked to the ground to crawl away.

"Natasha!" Loki was about to chase after her, but the three creatures crept towards him and Loki knew that protecting Natasha needed to be his first priority.

Natasha heard her phone ringing in her bedroom. She grabbed it right before the third ring and went to her closet to find her guns. "I'm a little busy right now, Nick," she muttered, doubting he would hear her over the shrieking of the fire alarm.

"Why am I getting notice of a distress signal in your apartment?" Nick Fury barked.

"Long story. I can handle this!" she promised, grabbing one of her glocks from its case. "Maybe you'll hear about this on the news," she added before ending the call. Despite the joke, she prayed that this feature wouldn't go public. _Aliens in New York_. Natasha could already imagine the unwanted publicity that would bring her. She rolled her eyes and made sure her gun was ready to fire. Carefully, she made her way towards the living room, eager to observe how Loki was faring. If these were friends of his, then she was eager to learn what secrets he held.

"I can't understand you!" Loki growled, swinging his staff out before him as an alien neared, hissing as if Loki could comprehend it. "You best leave now," Loki warned. "This is not Asgard, if that is what you assumed. Does Thanos not know where Asgard is?" A creature equipped with a blaster for a hand aimed at Loki's head. The god pointed his scepter at it and the alien's head exploded as a gunshot rang out.

"I take it these guys aren't your friends?" Natasha assumed. Purple ooze and mashed jelly splattered all over the carpet as the alien collapsed. She avoided the mess as she neared Loki, making a mental note that she was going to go apartment shopping if she made it out of this one alive.

"I prefer more well-mannered company," Loki jested, refusing to break eye contact with the two creatures that stood with knees bent, ready to pounce.

"You need me to finish this, or are you gonna do something?" Natasha asked. "I'd like to amscray before the cops come to interrogate me…"

Loki shook his scepter, wondering how to make use of its energy.

Natasha wasted no time in shooting at another alien in the chest, but that didn't seem to bother it. The beast lunged towards her, seizing her wrists with chubby, four-fingered hands.

Furious and afraid for Natasha's life, Loki impaled the hideous thing through the back of its neck. It let out a pained cry, giving Natasha time to slip out from beneath it. Loki removed his weapon, only to let it lop off the alien's head with a clean slice a second later.

Natasha shot the third and last of the creatures in the head and watched it fall alongside its fallen friend. "You sure you don't know what the hell these are?"

"My only guess is that they know someone I have recently been in contact with," Loki divulged, wrinkling his nose as he noticed the dark purple slime coating his once pristine scepter.

"I need to get to work before this gets any more out of hand." Natasha hurried to find her phone and Loki followed her.

"Or we escape this mess completely," he suggested.

"Not with those things running around… Nick?" she asked into her phone. "I'm gonna need a lift," she sighed. "Something's happening over here that may or may not be linked with New Mexico…" Her green eyes focused on Loki's face. "I've also got company with me," she added.

Loki stared at her phone, genuinely curious as to why she was talking to herself. "Natasha?" She held up a finger, silencing him until her phone call was over.

"You're staying with me for a bit," she ordered.

"I'm allowed to stay now?" He inquired.

Natasha grabbed a pre-packed duffel bag from her closet (she was always prepared for anything that was to come) before grabbing her catsuit and packing that in it, followed by a metal briefcase containing her weaponry.

Within minutes, the sounds of helicopter wings sounded, forcing Loki to stand alert, ready to strike any incoming threats down.

"They're on our side," Natasha assured him. The last thing she needed was him exploding their ride.

Coulson stepped out of the copter, watching his step as he entered the apartment through a broken window. "This isn't like New Mexico at all," he commented upon seeing the alien corpses.

"This guy knows Thor," Natasha answered, making her way towards the helicopter with her bags in hand. "We must be popular with Norse gods," she added as she stepped into the copter with Loki following suit.

"Now I've seen gods and aliens, but I still haven't gotten to meet Captain America," Phil sourly muttered as he took one last look at the surrounding damage.


	7. Chapter 7

Natasha knocked twice on a door and didn't bother for an answer before allowing herself into the room. Loki followed behind her, curious about his surroundings. Of the people he had seen so far, they all wore matching navy blue uniforms embellished with the crest of a bird with spread wings, a popular insignia throughout the vicinity.

"He definitely _looks_ like he knows Thor," the voice of Nick Fury remarked from his desk.

The man's eye patch was the first thing Loki noticed. It reminded him of Odin, making the god wrinkle his nose.

Natasha pulled out a chair before Fury's desk and sat. Loki took a seat beside her, carefully resting his scepter against the chair. "He has no clue as to whatever the hell invaded my apartment," the red-head began. "I'm gonna need a new place, by the way," she added.

Nick turned his attention to the god sitting before him. This one looked like the opposite of Thor. Pale, lean, dark hair… "What business do your people have with us?" Nick calmly asked, folding his hands atop his desk.

"If this concerns Thor, he was sent here as punishment," Loki began, rubbing and picking at his palm. "My selfish actions are the reason for that. However, Thor has returned home."

"Then what brings _you_ here?"

"Natasha," Loki said without a second thought. "Her life has become intertwined with my own. I believe that she has changed me for the best…"

Fury turned to his agent, raising a brow.

Natasha fought back the need to punch Loki in the shoulder. "This is him," she quietly stated, looking her boss in the eye. "The man who helped me escape my earlier handlers…" Nick was the only one who she trusted with the story of her past life. As the man who helped give her a chance at redemption, she owed him big. "Turns out… he's actually why I'm alive…" Natasha muttered in disbelief. "Why I'm here…"

Loki watched Natasha out of the corner of his eye. "If this concerns the matter of Agent Barton, then yes, I ordered him not to kill Natalia… Natasha," he corrected himself after a pause.

"Part of me doubts him," Natasha added, running a hand through her short hair. "He's messed with my life, but I trust him when he says that he didn't know about the aliens. How about you tell us who Thanos is," she said, shooting Loki a glare. "You mentioned that name to me…"

The god solemnly nodded, glancing over to his scepter. "I completely lost myself," he breathed. "In an attempt to escape my life, I ended up in an unfamiliar realm. That is where I encountered him. We struck a deal-I offered him Asgard's throne in exchange for power."

"'Power?'" Fury snorted. "That always ends well…"

"I only struck that deal so I will be free to visit Natasha at will," Loki corrected.

"Seems to me like we're gonna need an inter-planetary restraining order," Fury retorted. Natasha shot him a glare that forced him to shut his mouth.

"Why Natasha's home was invaded, I haven't a clue," Loki continued, ignoring the man's comment. "Thanos knows where to go. Asgard…"

"Sounds like he's got friends of his own," the director noted.

"An army…" Loki's eyes grew wide at the sudden realization. _'I also recommend bringing an army with you.' _Loki had meant that as a joke, assuming that Thanos was a loner. But if he wasn't…

"Loki…" Natasha knew that expression. That 'oh, shit, I fucked up' look. Tony made that face too many times to count. "What did you do?"

Loki brushed his hand over his mouth. "I underestimated him…"

"So you _did _bring those things here?"

"Not on purpose…" Loki's frightened eyes bore into Natasha's. "I swear to you, Natasha-I never meant for this to happen…"

"You're digging yourself a grave, you know," she warned.

"Natasha, I only wish to protect you!" He stood up, reaching for his scepter as it emit a faint glow.

"What the hell is _that_?" Fury asked, standing for a better look.

"He entrusted me with this. This is my power…" Loki gripped the golden handle tightly.

"It would be in your favour to hand that over," Fury glowered.

Loki clenched his jaw, briefly showing his teeth.

"Listen to him, Loki," Natasha stated, making the god look from his weapon to her. "You needed that to find me. Now you're here… Do you really need that?" Natasha locked eyes with him, staring the god down until he slowly set the scepter atop the desk.

"Let this act prove my innocence," he murmured.

Natasha mouthed him a 'thank you.' She honestly wasn't ready to start a brawl with a god over a giant glow stick.

Nick reached for the weapon, but a deafening crack of thunder forced his body to twitch as he stared out the window. Natasha did the same, concerned by the cloudless sky. She began to approach the window, but Loki grabbed her hand and pulled her to his chest. Natasha didn't have time to react as a swirl of bright colours appeared right before the window. Loki knew _exactly _what was coming. He heard Nick Fury swear amongst the noise as a large figure formed amidst the vortex.

"You're alive!" Thor's voice boomed. "Loki…" He stepped towards his brother, ignoring the baffled looks coming from Natasha and Fury. "Heimdall had said you vanished completely… but then he saw you…"

"Why do you even bother with me?" Loki scowled, carefully shoving Natasha aside.

"Mother and I thought you were gone…" Thor's large hand reached out to touch Loki's neck. "Loki…" His pained eyes stared into his brother's.

"Why?" Loki muttered. "Why are you here? How? The bridge was destroyed!"

"Father fixed it," Thor admitted. "He used so much strength that it put him into the Odinsleep…" He disregarded Loki's pleased smirk. "Heimdall told me that he found you and I had to come for you. Let us go home, Loki…"

The raven-haired god lowered his eyes as he escaped the blond's touch. "Asgard is my home no longer."

"Mother has been worried sick!" Thor urged.

Loki managed a small smile. "Tell her I am well. I have found Natalia and she is alive and well…" He glanced over to Natasha. "Father lied when he said she was dead."

"Umm… Director Fury?" Coulson had his head poked in the doorway. He spotted Thor and gave him a brief nod.

"Can this wait?" Fury asked, pinching the bridge of his nose. Between the gods and aliens, he needed a break.

"You might want to take a look outside, sir," Coulson stated.

The group approached the window and Natasha muttered a stream of swears. "Same bastards who wrecked my apartment," she told Fury.

"Did you bring them with you?" Coulson asked Thor.

Thor blankly stared out the window, watching as a herd of invaders escaped from a gaping hole in the sky. There were roughly a dozen, all flying in on chariots.

Fury watched as a group of foreign creatures flew past buildings and into the streets, terrorizing the citizens. "If this is going to happen every time a damn god shows up, then you two need to leave!" he barked.

Loki turned around and pointed to his scepter, noticing the gem glowing brighter than before. "No! This was Thanos…This is exactly what happened before!"

"Coulson, call in Stark and see if he can dismantle this thing!" Fury ordered.

Thor gripped Mjolnir in hand, stepping towards the desk. He raised his hammer high over his head, ignoring Fury's shout to stop, an smashed Loki's weapon to pieces, along with Fury's desk.

"I've had it with these motherfucking gods!" Fury mumbled. He was going to need a _long _vacation once this mess was over.

Thor inspected the damage he had done. The scepter was in pieces, except for the glowing blue gem that had rolled onto the floor. He swung at it with his hammer, but to no avail. "It's no use," he said, picking the stone up.

Loki grabbed for it, cursing himself for the mistake he had made. This was all his fault…

"Sir?" Coulson inquired. "I think it might be time…"

"Have Agent Hill get Barton and Stark on this ASAP!" Fury ordered. "You!" he snapped at Thor. "Get out there and put that hammer to use!"

"It will be my pleasure to defend Midgard," Thor smirked, swinging Mjolnir around in violent circles. Papers flew all around the thunder god until he threw his arm outward, sending him flying straight out the window as Mjolnir carried him forward.

Loki shielded Natasha from the glass as shards came flying at the group.

"Not the brightest, is he?" Fury growled.

"Not at all," Loki smirked.

"Agent Romanoff, I need you to bring in Banner," the director said, pushing his resentment towards Thor aside.

"Banner?" she repeated, her voice slightly catching in her throat.

"If _this _is what we're putting up with," he began, gesturing outside, "then we're gonna need him brought in. His knowledge of whatever kind of wormhole we're dealing with can help. He also might know what that stone does. I want him working with Stark on this."

"And if he gets angry?" Natasha asked.

"Tell him to hold it in until he comes here. Those things keep coming," Fury noted as he saw two more aliens emerge from the black hole in the sky.

"I could get him if Natasha would rather stay and fight," Coulson offered.

Nick forced himself to smile. "I was actually going to give you the honour of bringing Rogers over here…"

"Rogers…" Coulson's eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas. "He's conscious?!"

Natasha ignored the grown man's excitement as he fled the room, whispering something about trading cards. "Loki's coming with me," she told her boss. "Just in case Banner doesn't cooperate," she hinted.

"I'll get a jet prepared right away."

Loki pulled Natasha close and held the gem tightly. "Where exactly is her destination?"

"Let me go!" Natasha hissed.

"Calcutta, India," Fury answered.

"Calcutta, India," Loki repeated. "Keep that in mind, Natasha. Let us see if this will work…" He gripped the azure stone even tighter.

Natasha tried shoving him away, but stopped when her surroundings began to swirl into blurs of colours. She blinked for one second and found that she _definitely _wasn't in New York anymore. "More of your magic?" she wondered, taking in her new surroundings. Just past the alleyway they were hidden in was a line of fruit stands, all surrounded by mobs of people in brightly coloured clothing.

"This seems to help greatly," Loki commented, showing her the gem before tucking it into his pocket. "Now, who is it that we seek?"


	8. Chapter 8

"Doctor Bruce Banner," Natasha stated, taking in the surroundings before her. "Mind giving us a change of clothes? Something to blend in? I usually pack in advance for these kinds of things…" she added.

"Certainly." Loki spotted a group of civilians and fitted Natasha and himself with similar attire to blend in.

Natasha glanced down, wishing she had magical powers to travel abroad and clothe herself without having to even snap her fingers. She played with the scarf wrapped around her hips, admiring the feel of silk beneath her fingers. "You're really useful for this," she said with a small smile. "I'd like to bring you along more often unless you've got magic to share," she teased.

"Not for a mortal, I am afraid," Loki chuckled, smoothing the front of his olive green Kurta. "Now then. Doctor Banner... You seemed uneasy when Fury mentioned him," Loki added.

Natasha led the god out of the alleyway, letting out a sarcastic laugh. "Let's just say he has some anger issues." She shrugged it off as though it was no big deal, but the man-the Hulk, rather- did enough damage to put Harlem off the map. Natasha had never had the pleasure of meeting Bruce or the misfortune to meet the Hulk. From what she read from reports on him, he wasn't one who could be easily reasoned with-something that made her uneasy. So long as she remained calm, the green monster wouldn't make an appearance. "Just let me do the talking." God forbid Loki upset the guy…

"Thor has some anger issues. He can be borderline barbaric," Loki commented. "I'm sure this will be of no surprise to me."

"This guy could rip Thor apart if he gets tick," Natasha laughed, grabbing Loki's hand as they shoved through a small crowd. "Believe me-he's twice Thor's size."

Loki eagerly lipped his lips. "Impressive…"

After half an hour of struggling to communicate with civilians (Natasha didn't exactly have time to brush up on the lingo), a little girl showed Natasha and Loki the way to where their doctor was. Loki would have helped, but he wasn't familiar with what Natasha meant when she kept telling people that she was seeking an 'American' whilst pointing to herself. To Loki, she was a Midgardian. They were _all _Midgardians, unless something changed over time.

They were shown into a cramped and musty home and the little girl got the attention of a man dressed in a shabby brown suit. He turned his attention away from two small children lying in bed. The man began to speak in the girl's native tongue, only to stop when he spotted Natasha.

"Doctor Banner," the red-head grinned. "Can you spare a moment?"

"Err…" He adjusted his glasses before nodding his head. "Of course…"

Loki eyed the man, unamused and in complete disbelief. There was no chance in hell that this puny man could take on Thor in physical combat.

"Somewhere private," Natasha hinted. "I'm Natasha Romanoff, and this is Loki," she added. "We're here on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Bruce pursed his lips, wary of what was to be asked of him. "They found me?" he asked, leading Natasha and Loki outside.

"We never lost track of you," Natasha answered. "But we've kept our distance-you're safe," she promised in a soothing tone. "Nick Fury needs you to come in," she said once they were outside. Even in the darkness, Natasha could see the doctor narrow his eyes at the mentioning of Fury's name.

"What if I say no?" he asked in a harsh tone.

"I'll persuade you." Natasha made sure to keep a steady and gentle tone.

Bruce led them to a clearing near the woods, far away from a group of people chatting by an open fire. "And what if the… _other _guy says no?" he wondered, rubbing his hands together.

"You've been more than a year without an incident," Natasha reminded him, thinking back to his file. "I don't think you want to break that streak."

"Well, I don't all the time get what I want," he sarcastically remarked, aimlessly pacing about, leaves crunching beneath his shoes.

"Loki," Natasha said quickly. "The stone." She outstretched her palm, keeping an eye on the doctor until she felt the weight of the azure gem in her hand. For such a tiny thing, it was heavier than expected. "This is what we need your assistance with."

Bruce turned to the woman, curious by the faint glow of the stone. "I've never seen anything like this."

"It comes from another world," Loki commented. "I know not where exactly, but it holds a power all its own."

"If you like what you see, then you're gonna _love _the wormhole that just opened up over New York," Natasha smirked.

"A wormhole?" Bruce parroted, weighing the rock in his palm.

"That's what we think," Natasha shrugged. "Fury wants the best to solve this. That's you…"

Bruce heavily exhaled and eyed the gem. "I suppose I could go…This could have some sort of gamma energy coming from it."

"No one knows that like you do," Natasha teased. Bruce furrowed his brows, unimpressed with her quip.

"Fury isn't after the monster?" the doctor quietly asked.

"Not that he's told me," Natasha stated.

"And he tells you everything?" Bruce stared over at her beneath his eyelashes. His fingers tightened their grip around the gem which began to feel hotter as the glow became more intense.

"Talk to Fury. He needs you on this…"

"Natasha," Loki whispered, eyes locked on the gem.

"He wants me in a cage!" Bruce scowled, knuckles turning white as he held the burning piece of rock.

Natasha, too, noticed the blue glow and did her best to remain calm. Was it reacting to anger? If so, things were about to get messy… "No one's going to put you in a cage."

"**Stop** lying to me!" Bruce shouted.

The Black Widow reached past the waistband of her skirt to whip her gun out. No matter what the situation, she was always prepared.

Loki bared his teeth, furious that a stranger would snap at Natasha in such a manner. "Unhand the gem!" he barked.

"Loki, stay calm!" Natasha urged.

"I'll handle this man myself!" the god seethed. He proceeded to lunge at the doctor, but the ground suddenly began to shake and a burst of light came down from the sky directly behind Bruce.

"My God…" Bruce whipped around, his body trembling at the sight of an armour-clad titan towered above him. The gem fell from his fingers and Loki hurried to scoop it up.

"Thanos," Loki growled.

"You thought you could escape me?" the titan chuckled.

Natasha kept her gun pointed at the foe. She highly doubted a bullet would do anything, but she refused to back down.

"You are to come with me!" Thanos' large hand grabbed Loki's arm.

Without thinking, Natasha fired a bullet at her opponent's eye. He flinched, squinting his eye as if a speck of dust had flew at him. At least it did _something. _

Loki blasted the enemy in the face with a green blast, forcing Thanos to release his hold on him. "Natasha, go!" Loki ordered.

She nodded and ran to drag Bruce away. If her gun was useless, then backing off was the smartest option. Loki seemed to have the upper hand in this fight. "You're coming with me, Doc," she muttered as she dragged Bruce away.

"You're not gonna tell me who your friend is?" Bruce asked, his body trembling. That thing had popped out of nowhere. It not only scared him, but he could feel the other guy growing anxious, too.

Natasha didn't answer, her gaze focused on Loki as he stopped an attack with some kind of magical barrier. He was definitely a god. Maybe the bigger guy was, too… Whatever the case, Natasha was completely submerged in the feud. This was nothing she had ever seen, nothing she was trained for… A pained whimper forced her to stare back at Bruce. And then there was him… "Bruce?" she asked, uneasily watching as the man clutched his middle. He began taking long, deep breaths and Natasha swore she saw a green tinge to his pale skin. "Doctor Banner…" Then man fell forward and swatted his hand at her. She knew all too well what was going on. Flashes of a damaged Harlem flashed in her mind as she recalled the pictures taken from the Hulk's last outbreak. Natasha acted quickly and sprinted deeper into the forest. She stayed low to the ground, allowing for the trees to cover her while she watched Loki from afar. A blast of light was shot at him, sending him into the ground. Natasha knew he wasn't down for good, though. She saw his silhouette staggering up just as the hulking alter ego of Bruce Banner appeared…

Loki couldn't ignore the looming presence behind him. As he pulled himself out from the crater of dirt his body created, he noticed Thanos take a step back. Curious, Loki turned his head and suddenly, he understood what Natasha had meant about the doctor. The muscular green beast matched Thanos' height, but what of his strength? Were the doctor's abnormally large muscles all for show? Loki fell back into the dirt as the Hulk leapt over his body to latch himself onto Thanos. The god chuckled, amused by the curious turn of events. The green beast ripped off Thanos' helmet and snarled in his face. As much as Loki wanted to watch, he noticed that Natasha was missing. He looked all around him, having to do a double take when he caught sight of her in the distance. Loki began to run to her, but came to a halt as the green doctor came hurling past him, smashing down tree after tree as he flew forward. The ground shook and Loki was nearly crushed by a falling tree. "Natasha!" He ran towards her, only to have Thanos grab the tail of his coat. His face smacked into the ground as he lost his balance, forcing him to lose hold of his gem.

"You will give me what I desire," Thanos warned as he slung Loki's body across his shoulders.

After the Hulk had been tossed aside like a doll, Natasha began to run towards Loki, trying her best to avoid the whirlwind of leaves that were blowing around like crazy in the aftermath of Bruce's downfall. She saw the god running towards her, but then he was gone. It wasn't until she saw Thanos pick something up off the ground that she realized Loki had only fallen. Only she didn't see him moving. Not wanting to blow her cover, she watched as Thanos threw him over his shoulder. For a brief second, she saw Loki's eyes open and stare into hers.

There was a blinding light and once it passed, the two were gone for good. "Shit!" Natasha swore. She walked forward and stopped upon seeing Loki's stone. Carefully, she picked it up and grasped it tightly. There had to be a way to bring Loki back, and she knew just who to turn to. Natasha reached for her phone to call her boss. "I'm gonna need a ride…" She turned her head in the Hulk's direction and found that he had reverted to Bruce who was now lying naked and dirty on the ground. "And a first aid kit and men's clothing," she added before ending the call. "Bruce?"

The man rolled onto his back and groaned as he stretched his limbs. Nothing felt broken, at least.

"Doctor Banner?"

He opened his eyes and stared blankly at Natasha. For a second, he forgot who she was, why he was here… but then he remembered the other guy showing up. And an alien? He quickly sat up, his back facing her as he remained seated on the ground. "No one's hurt, right?"

Natasha looked around at the several fallen trees. "No one human…" she answered with a shrug.

"What happened to that… creature?" Bruce wondered as he looked around, cringing at the mess he had created. He was thankful for the darkness so he couldn't fully see all of the destruction he had made.

"No clue."

Bruce heavily sighed. "There goes my perfect streak…" After over a year with no hulk-outs, he was back to square one again…

"How about you come with me?" Natasha offered. "You can help us figure out whatever the hell that thing was and we'll give you some pants."

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose, dreading whatever S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted him for. He prayed there would be no cages involved. "Can I have the pants first?" he asked.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry for the delay and short chapter, guys! I'm on break and have been really distracted-I won't let it happen again! ;_;**

The private jet back to New York messed with Natasha's internal clock, but she was used to the feeling of time differences from previous missions. Bruce had fallen fast asleep on the ride, his body clothed in a baggy S.H.I.E.L.D. jacket and a pair of pants that fit him just right. Natasha envied him for being able to sleep so soundly. Her mind was buzzing with thoughts of what was to become of Loki once he gave Thanos what he wanted. Maybe he would die. His death would then be another mark on Natasha's ledger. Loki was her responsibility-the only reason the guy got captured was because he wanted to see her. Natasha felt the coolness of the blue gem against her clenched fingers. This whole alien mess was her fault when it came down to it. She pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned. This was one hell of a web to get tangled up in. Nonetheless, Natasha swore to herself that she would fix things. And then kick Loki's ass for acting like a lovesick child… She let her head rest against the wall and tried to imagine what her life would have been like if Loki never encountered her back at the Red Room. Would she still be alive? Or would she have escaped on her own? If she did, then where would she be now? A world-renown criminal, a terrorist?

A distant explosion snapped Natasha out of her thoughts and forced Bruce to jolt awake from his nap. Natasha leaned forward in her seat and glanced past the pilot's shoulder for a view of the city. The alien invaders were still present, riding on their chariots and currently trying to take down their plane. Off in the distance, Natasha spotted a bolt of lightning rain down from the sky until it connected with Thor's hammer.

The blond god had perched himself up on a skyscraper and was using his lightning to shock the surrounding enemies.

"Land this thing near that building over there!" Natasha barked, pointing to a rooftop closest to Thor.

The pilot swerved past an alien scooter and scowled. "That's not a proper landing site!"

Natasha stood up and pressed her hand against the clear opening compartment.

"Ms. Romanoff…" Bruce blinked.

"Keep your seatbelt on, doctor," she advised. "It's gonna get a little windy in here."

The pilot turned towards her for a brief second to see what she was doing. "You'll get yourself killed without a parachute!"

"There's some in here," Natasha commented, reaching for a bag tucked behind the pilot's seat. "Breaking out of here won't be a problem, either," she added, clenching a fist.

"Director Fury wants you and Doctor Banner returned to base!"

"He'll understand if I go missing." She scowled as the jet zoomed past Thor. "You're level five, listen to your superior!" she snapped, gripping the gem. The lengths she was going to to save some mythological god's ass…

At least the pilot was beginning to see things her way. He made a sharp turn and nearly crashed the jet into the concrete roof of a building. In his defense, Natasha saw at least one alien get squished in the process. The clear top opened up and Natasha hopped out, ripping off the scarf around her waist. She could have done with her uniform-the skirt was getting to be a pain as it began blowing in the wind. Loki's so-called 'magical' gem didn't seem to be doing anything for her, either. "Take Doctor Banner back to Director Fury!" Natasha ordered, reaching for the gun secured to her thigh holster. "And tell him I'm borrowing Thor!" she added before running to the edge of the rooftop.

The god of thunder spotted her, his eyes currently fixed on the curious plane she came from. Midgard's machines were far less advanced than those back home. Her jet was like an ancient relic compared to the laser-shooting ships he had grown used to. The red-head began waving at him, so he leapt from his perch atop the skyscraper and let Mjolnir propel him towards her. "Lady Natasha…" Thor turned his head as the jet began to take off. "Is Loki flying that?" he worriedly asked. "He is to stay with you!"

"I know he is." Natasha offered him the gem. "He's on Asgard… Thanos got him," she quietly added.

Thor felt his chest tighten at her words. Not only was his brother in danger, but his home, as well. Whoever this Thanos was, he was clearly a danger. "Father still sleeps-he is defenseless!" he muttered under his breath. "Heimdall!" he boomed, snapping his head up towards the sky.

Natasha felt Thor's strong arm grab her and crush her against his chest. She wasn't about to complain-the guy's body was definitely that of a god, but nothing seemed to be happening. "Thor?" He continued calling out to Heimdall as if that was going to whisk them away.

"Asgard may very well be in danger as we speak." Thor narrowed his eyes and let Natasha go. "If Heimdall will not answer me, then-"

"This," Natasha urged, showing him the stone. "This is how Loki came here. Maybe you can make it work?"

Thor gingerly took the rock between his fingers, careful to not crush it. "I do not understand how this works…" Mjolnir couldn't leave a scratch on it-there was no denying that the tiny stone held some kind of mystical ability.

"If I knew, I'd be on Asgard right now." Natasha grabbed onto his arm. "Think of home," she suggested. "I think that's how Loki found me…"

"You are certain that Loki is there?" he questioned.

Natasha nodded with a fierce look in her eyes. "There's something there that Loki promised Thanos. I don't know what, but they'll be there…" Hopefully Loki would be in one piece. Time seemed to affect both of their worlds differently, after all…


	10. Chapter 10

Loki was rudely awakened with a grunt as his body was thrown against the hard ground. It wasn't until he came to, slowly opening his eyes after waking from a daze, that he saw the golden turning cogs of Heimdall's observatory.

"Your death will come last, god," Thanos muttered as his heavy boots walked past the half-conscious god.

Loki groaned, his body weak from whatever Thanos had done to him. "H…Heimdall?" he choked out. How in the nine realms could Heimdall not foresee this danger coming? Rolling onto his side, Loki found his answer.

The esteemed guard had been stripped of his gleaming breastplate, revealing a gaping wound over his heart.

"Heimdall!" Loki nearly doubled over as he rose to run towards the all-seeing eye of the realms, now surrounded in a puddle of dark crimson. He reached for the man's neck and felt a slow pulse beneath his trembling fingers. "I'm so sorry," Loki breathed. This was all his fault. Odin was right about meddling with the realms. If only he had listened… but Loki _never _did that. The thrill of going against the All-Father was too good to pass up. To think his disobedience would lead to Asgard's destruction. All because Loki desired love. Perhaps this was a sign that love wasn't for him. If Natasha knew what he really was, she would run away in fear. Loki was, by birthright, a monster, a killer.

A distant explosion drew Loki's attention towards the Bifrost. Thick smoke had clouded the air and he could hear the angry shouts from Odin's guards. With the All-Father asleep and no one watching over the realm, Thanos had the kingdom in the palm of his hand. As much as Loki wanted to let Thanos take everything, the thought of Frigga falling victim to the titan's wrath made his blood boil. He couldn't let her die. Their bond was strong-Frigga taught him everything he knew about magic. While Odin showered Thor with praise, Frigga comforted him and made him feel like he wasn't Thor's shadow. Frigga was his Mother, and Loki refused to let her die.

Loki staggered to his feet, but his body, so drained and heavy like lead, collapsed to the ground. Everything moved in slow motion as he fell. In his final seconds of consciousness, he thought of his Mother. Would she die quickly and painlessly, or would she suffer? And then he thought of Natasha. Would she find him? He left her with the gem, but why? Why did he throw it to her in the first place? Because he trusted her with it? Would she even know how to use its power… Or maybe he wanted her to rescue him. Loki told her that Asgard was Thanos' destination, so would she come find him? But if she did, then Thanos would kill her. Loki uttered a swear as he realized his fatal mistake.

* * *

><p>"Loki!" Natasha's voice called out.<p>

The unmistakable sound of Natasha's voice told the god that he was dreaming. Come to think of it, wasn't he unconscious? He could hardly recall anything that happened after Thanos kidnapped him and took him to Asgard. Loki tried opening his eyes, but he couldn't. Maybe Thanos killed him, maybe he killed all of Asgard, as well…

"Loki!" The red-head's voice continued to beckon him.

_Natasha?_ Why could he hear her? Unless… Had she come to Asgard to find him? But if he was dead, then was she dead, as well? Fear seized him at the tragic realization. She didn't deserve to die, especially not for the likes of him. Natasha deserved to live a long, happy life. Oh, what he would give to allow her another chance at life…

"We must hurry!" Thor's voice ordered.

Now Thor was dead, too? How many lives was Loki responsible for?

"His heart's still beating," Natasha continued. "Go, I'll stay here. Not much I can do against magic and gods…"

Loki could hear their voices-they were both so close. If only he could actually _see _them. He caught a whiff of a delicate fluorescent scent mixed with leather and blood. There was no denying that Natasha was close, so close. He felt a warmth against his cheek as her fingertips traced along his jaw. _Natasha…_

"Loki?"

The gentle touch was replaced with a hot stinging sensation on his cheek. "The hel…?" Loki grumbled as his eyes finally opened.

"You idiot," Natasha muttered as the god came to.

Loki rubbed his sore cheek as he forced himself to sit upright. "You came," he breathed in disbelief. "Are we dead?" he quickly asked.

"We will be if Thor can't stop your buddy."

"Thanos," Loki corrected her. "Where is Thor?"

"Cleaning up your mess," Natasha coldly remarked.

Of course. This was all his doing, there was no denying it. He rose to his feet and Natasha did the same. "Stay here," the god ordered. "Keep watch over Heimdall," he added as his eyes fell upon the fallen gatekeeper. Off in the distance, he heard screams as he felt a rumbling beneath his boots. "I'll return for you." Quickly, he spun around on his heel and ran towards the Bifrost.

"You better!" Natasha shouted after him. "You still owe me an apartment!"

Loki felt the slightest grin form across his lips as he dashed down the Rainbow Bridge. He wouldn't let Natasha down, especially if she intended to await his return...

There was an explosion far ahead and Loki looked up in time to see a mushroom cloud rising up from the King and Queen's palace, his home. As exhausted as he felt, the trickster mustered up all the strength he could so he could quickly transport himself inside the palace walls. He took himself into his mother's chambers and sure enough, Frigga was there, faithfully seated at her husband's bedside. "Mother!" he gasped.

"Oh! Loki!" Frigga left Odin's side and ran towards her son.

Loki felt awful for smiling, but seeing the concern and panic in his mother's eyes made him happy. "I've missed you…"

"You had me worried sick!" she scolded, throwing her arms around the man's neck. "We were _all_ worried, Loki," she quietly added.

He embraced his mother, rubbing his cheek against her golden curls. "I thought you were dead… Father was right-I never should have meddled with Midgardian affairs."

Frigga shook her head as she ended the hug. "Do you regret ever meeting Natalia?" she wondered, loosely holding her son's hand.

Loki froze, unsure of how to respond. His head was telling him yes now that he was seeing all of the trouble being caused… but his heart conspired against his brain, telling him that Natasha wasn't a regret. She showed him that he wasn't alone amongst the seemingly happy and perfect lives that surrounded him. Natasha lived through horrors, yet despite it all, she stood with her head held high. Loki could never do that. "No," he stated, letting his heart answer for him. "I do not. I envy Natasha and her strength… She is brave, proud…" The floor began to shake, sending Loki into a mild panic. "Please keep an eye on her!" Loki quickly added. "She is in the observatory!"

"Loki…" The goddess admired her son's need to protect the Midgardian, but her priorities were focused on keeping watch over her husband. "Your Father is currently in no position to defend himself."

"I will watch over him!" he vowed. "Thanos wishes to take his life-he will seek out Odin, and when he does, I will kill him where he stands! Thor will help!" Frigga grew hesitant, her eyes glued to Odin's sleeping form. "Do you not trust me?" Loki darkly asked. The Queen furrowed her brows as her eyes met with the trickster's.

Frigga managed a smile and shook her head. "Watch over my love, and I will watch over yours."

"Natasha is not my-" Before he could finish, Frigga snatched a dagger from Loki's side and fled the room. "Very well, then," he sighed. "I will protect you with my very life," the trickster vowed to the All-Father's helpless, sleeping form.


	11. Chapter 11

Natasha didn't know how gods worked. They seemed invincible, but the one bleeding out at her feet wasn't looking too good. She had seen plenty of innocent men die at her feet. None of them were gods, so this was new. A crack of thunder drew the assassin's attention towards the Bifrost. She stepped out of the observatory and stared up at the sky lined with angry black clouds.

"Are you frightened, dear?"

Natasha turned at the sound of a woman's voice. The gentle tone told her that this woman wasn't a threat. She had an aged face and despite the threat looming over the kingdom, she still managed to smile. Natasha knew who this woman was in an instant. The golden hair and bright blue eyes were exactly the same as the thunder god's. . "You're Loki's mother," she stated, approaching the goddess and kneeling before her and Heimdall. "Is he dying?" Natasha wondered in a callous tone.

She shook her head. "No, dear." Frigga let her hands hover above Heimdall's wound as a golden light radiated from her palms. "I take it Loki has mentioned me?" she softly laughed, glancing up at Natasha beneath her lashes.

"He did, yeah," the red-head answered, fixated on the magic happening before her.

"Well, I am thrilled to meet you!" Frigga beamed. "If only the circumstances were different…"

"Yeah, well, Loki kinda caused all this mess because of me," Natasha snidely remarked. "You really shouldn't have let him go chasing after a stranger."

"He's taken quite a liking to you," the goddess noted.

"He destroyed my apartment," Natasha bitterly added.

Frigga chuckled to herself, not once stopping her healing magic. "Loki means well. He always does."

Natasha shrugged and eyed the dark crimson painting the golden marble ground. "He's saved my life…I honestly don't know where I'd be right now if not for him…" Would she have stayed with the Red Room doctors and suffered if he never appeared? She could have easily died in the snow alongside her baby without Loki's aid. "I'd either be dead or a ruthless murderer…" Loki was responsible for her joining S.H.I.E.L.D., after all.

"He has made you a better person, then?" Frigga interrupted. "I've noticed that you have had the same effect on him."

Natasha kept silent. Who was she to speak for a man she hardly knew?

Heimdall's eyes began to open and Frigga breathed out in relief. "They are in danger…" the man croaked.

The creases on Frigga's brow from her wide eyes was enough to tell Natasha that her family was in danger. Loki, included.

"I trust my boys will be strong and defend their father," the mother said.

Natasha chose to butt in, knowing that she was partly responsible for the mess. "Guns don't work on this guy. I don't even think magic's going to help."

A brief flash of irritation flickered in Frigga's azure orbs. "You shouldn't doubt my boys," she warned.

"I know Loki's gonna come back," Natasha smiled. "He promised he'd return."

"And you would trust his word?" Heimdall quietly snorted.

"Yes," the assassin replied.

* * *

><p>Loki twirled a dagger in hand as he heard thunder rumble in the distance. Where was Thor? Was the oaf too stupid to know where they should meet? The trickster was tempted to leave Odin's side to find Thor, but he feared what would happen if he disappeared, even if for a second.<p>

Bits of rubble fell upon Loki's head, forcing him to curse under his breath. Whatever was about to come, Odin had a barrier protecting him. Loki prayed that it would hold up through the struggle. He readied his blade as lightning stuck. Slowly, the magic in his blood was building as a rush of adrenaline kicked in. _Natasha is safe with Mother, _he told himself. _What have I to fear? _

"Loki!" Thor flew in through an open window, Mjolnir in hand to propel him forward.

"Taking your merry time, I see…" Loki snorted under his breath.

"Above us!"

Loki saw the ceiling begin to crack, so he enveloped he and Thor inside a protective barrier. Clouds of dust and debris rained down on their covering. Loki spotted Thanos' towering silhouette fall. "Straight ahead! Now!" Loki hissed. He undid the barrier and sent a rope of flame in the titan's direction. Thor assisted him by letting his hammer cast a lightning bolt at their opponent. The smoke dissipated as the whole room lit up.

Thanos howled out as the fire burned his armour, scorching his body, while the lightning sent jolts of electricity throughout his system.

Loki stopped attacking, not wanting to drain himself before the real battle began. He knew the mad titan wouldn't fall so easily. Thor also fell back, glancing in Odin's direction to ensure that he was still under protection.

"Which of you to kill first…" Thanos taunted as his fierce eyes glared towards the brothers. "This one?" He opened his gloved hand and unleashed a ray of light in Thor's direction. "Maybe I will save you for last," he promised Loki as Thor stumbled backwards. "You promised me the house of Odin. It will be mine after I kill every single one of you."

"Loki! What have you done?" Thor managed as he staggered to his feet.

"Calm down, Thor," Loki drawled. "Are you giving up so easily?"

The blond managed a wide grin. "What tricks do you have up your sleeves?"

"The gem!" Thanos interrupted. "The only one I have lost is the one I gave _you_!"

"Really?" Loki shrugged. "I suppose it was dropped on Midgard after you so kindly stole me away."

Thanos charged forth and wrapped his gloved hand around Loki's mouth. "I think I might kill you right now…"

Mjolnir struck Thanos upside the head, sending his helmet flying across the room. "You will do no such thing!" Thor ordered.

"Then kill me," Loki beckoned with a confident smirk.

Thanos clenched his fist, roaring as Loki vanished from his grasp. He swung his fist back, striking the thunder god across the face and sending him to the ground. As Thor fell, Thanos' sharp ears picked up the patter of something small hitting the ground and clacking across the ground. He whipped his head around to see his missing blue gem. "Prepare for the end!"

"Not a chance!" Loki summoned the object towards him and tucked the stone in between the folds of leather around his middle. "Let's see how you fare against the house of Laufey…" Loki closed his eyes as ice ran through his veins. He heard an audible gasp from Thor and wondered if he would ever look at him the same way again. "Now you see me for what I truly am. A monster." Loki opened his eyes, now a brilliant shade of crimson. "Just like you!" he sneered at Thanos as shards of ice flew towards the creature.

Thanos evaded the attack, unimpressed with the frost giant. "Awfully small for a Jotun."

Loki fired another blast and cursed as the titan dodged.

"You were a better fighter as a god. What happened?"

"I never intended to attack you." Loki flashed his teeth as he eyed the gauntlet, now encased in a thick layer of ice. "Thor!" he shouted.

There was a clap of thunder, followed by a shattering sound that was quickly drowned out with a scream.

Loki was somewhat pleased with what he had done. The gauntlet, along with Thanos' hand was smashed to smithereens. The stones were unharmed, but only the gauntlet could allow for the gems to fuse their powers together. Odin was bound to be furious, but something so dangerous shouldn't exist.

"Would you like me to finish him off?" Thor called out to his brother.

Loki smirked as he watched Thanos clutch his injured arm. "I thought you had the strength of over ten gods?" Before he could answer, Loki buried his head in ice. "Finish him," the Jotun said to Thor. Now he was no different from his ancestors. A murderer. He turned around just as Thor dealt the final blow. He had no wish to bear witness to the titan's death.

"Loki?"

The sound of Natasha's voice forced Loki to open his eyes and take in her face. She was alive and unharmed, same for Frigga who stood behind her. He let go of all his troubles to find relief in their safety. If anything had happened to either of them, he would never forgive himself.

Confusion filled Natasha's eyes as she stopped mid-step.

Loki stared down at his pale blue hands as reality set in. "Are you afraid?" he hollowly asked the assassin.


	12. Chapter 12

Natasha felt a shudder run up her spine as a pair crimson eyes bore into hers. Loki's frosty blue skin and intimidating glare were a startling change, but his silky voice and the hidden loneliness in his eyes still remained. "You're like Doctor Banner," she began, keeping her voice even.

"The mindless beast," Loki grunted, recalling her hulking green companion.

The assassin managed a smile as she stepped towards Loki. "In all those times you came to me, you never changed. Not once," she mused.

"This isn't permanent." As Loki spoke, he held his hand out and watched as his ivory skin began to return. She was masking her fear much better than he thought…

"You're some kind of alien?" Natasha prodded, watching the red of his eyes bleed back into his skull.

"No," he growled.

"I always figured you were something like that," she shrugged. "It sounds cooler than being a magician. At least to me, it did."

Loki was taken aback at her humour. Wasn't she repulsed? Then again, she didn't know what Frost Giants were…

"Thank the Fates you're all safe!" Frigga first ran to Loki and threw her arm around him just as the light blue was fading from his cheeks. "My sweet boy," she murmured, running her fingers through his messy black hair.

"You dare say that even after seeing what I am?" he whispered, wrinkling his nose.

"You can't push me away, dear," Frigga warmly smiled. "I am your mother, and you are my boy."

Thor was next to come running to Frigga. "The threat is no more, and Father sleeps safely."

"It might be safe here, but things were pretty bad back home when I left," Natasha interrupted.

"Then we will make amends on Midgard," Loki promised. He summoned an orange gem into his palm and showed it to Natasha. "This will bring us back to your own time. Do you wish to accompany us, Thor?" Loki questioned.

The blond god nodded. "Aye. Now that all is safe here."

"You're sure we'll be back right when we left?" Natasha asked. The last thing she wanted was to return to a post-apocalyptic New York where Fury and Barton had been dead for years. She didn't want to know what happened after she left. All those aliens…

"Yes," Loki promised, taking her small hand in his. Thor smacked him on the back and Loki took that as his cue to bring everyone to Midgard.

* * *

><p>Natasha expected there to be damage, hell, she expected the end of the world. To find that the streets were cleared gave her some relief. The most damage she could spot from Fury's office window were a few damaged buildings billowing smoke up towards the portal in the sky. Iron Man was the next thing she saw, zipping right past the trio. An alien riding its chariot was close on his tail. Natasha grabbed her gun and shot at it through the broken window and smirked as its brains oozed from its skull before it fell from its scooter. "Stark!" she shouted.<p>

Iron Man froze in mid air and turned around to fly towards her. "Made it back in one piece, huh?" he said as his face plate lifted up.

"Still no way to stop those guys?" she asked. "At least bullets seem to work…"

"Banner's on it!" Tony promised. "Or he _was_ until some guys wanted to pick a fight. That man goes from genius to rage monster in six seconds!"

"And you couldn't finish the job for him?" Natasha snapped.

"We're all a little busy right now," he reminded her, throwing his thumb back towards the city.

"You fight, and we will stop this," Loki interrupted.

Tony turned to Loki, eying the unusual leather costume, then to Thor wearing his armour and dusty red cape. "I didn't know you had cosplayer friends, Romanoff."

"Stark, focus!" Natasha bit back.

"My place," Tony stated, all playfulness in his tone now gone. "We were in the process of launching a missile from the top floor. How much do you know about explosives?"

"Breaking out the illegal toys?" Natasha smirked.

"Do you still have that stone on you?" Tony abruptly asked. "Banner said if we can harness the power coming from that, we can close the wormhole after we clear out the source. If you can get up to my place, I'll meet you right after I take down some freaks harassing a coffee joint," Tony wagered. "Contact Fury, he's been barking orders-keeping the people safe is the main goal."

Natasha wasn't going to argue with that. These people were in no way prepared for an alien invasion… "See that building over there?" Natasha pointed straight ahead to Stark tower, settled between several skyscrapers. "Stark Tower. It's even labeled for you," she told Loki.

"That is where we need to be?" She nodded, so Loki wrapped an arm around her waist. "Hold on tight," he said, a smirk across his lips.

Natasha grabbed his arm, only to have Loki force her body closer to his before taking off. "Damn," she heard Tony breathe as they disappeared from sight. A split second passed in between the thirty mile voyage across the city."You sure you can't teach me that?" Natasha teased as she eyed a large metal briefcase marked as property of Stark Industries.

"Perhaps I can make an attempt in teaching you once all of this is over." The metal clasps of the briefcase clicked as Natasha unlocked them. "You plan to obliterate their race?" Loki wondered.

"Why not?" Natasha shrugged. "Look at what they're doing now. If we let them live, who knows what'll happen if that wormhole ever opens up again?"

"Thanos opened up their realm to yours and he is no more," Loki added with a tightened fist.

"So you're siding with the enemy?" Natasha glanced from the missile to Loki. "They nearly killed me! Hell, they're trying to kill everyone right now!" she hissed, rising to her feet.

A race of murderers. Where else had he heard that story? "Have you no faith that they will change? You and Frigga seem to have such high hopes for me," he added with bared teeth. "Unless you see me as a monster?"

"There's no reasoning with these guys, Loki." Natasha pressed down on a bullet around her wrist and heard the gentle hum of her stingers preparing to strike. "You can't let this get personal-not when a city's in danger," she reasoned.

"Do you intend to kill me?" he wondered, watching her hands clench into tiny fists. "Then by all means, please do. Finish off two races of killers in one day," Loki challenged.

Natasha wasn't being left with much of a choice. Loki was bringing this on himself. Right now, she had orders to protect the city. If Loki wanted to stand in her way, then so be it. His hand outstretched to grab her neck and just before Natasha could deliver an electric shock to his gut, a subtle splitting of the air between them sent Loki reeling back.

He sharply exhaled between his teeth as he glowered at the arrowhead lodged in his palm.

"Barton, stand back!" Natasha snapped.

The archer stood on the rooftop's edge, readying another arrow. "I've got this guy," he breathed. Something about the dark haired stranger wasn't right, and it wasn't just his leather getup. His voice held an odd familiarity to Clint, one that made his brain hurt to think about.

"'Barton,'" Loki mused, pulling the arrow out and tossing it aside as if nothing had happened. "The man sent to kill you is now at your defense." Blood trickled from his hand and landed on the paved roof. It only took a few seconds for the god to feel the tiny hole close up, good as new.

"Funny. If you wanted me dead, you should've let him shoot years ago," Natasha taunted. "Stop making yourself the victim, Loki! These things are trying to overrun the city!" She noticed Clint pull back his bow string and she signaled him to stop.

"What makes you think that they are incapable of changing their ways?" Loki hissed as the assassin drew closer to him. "Will you help to murder an entire race out of spite?"

"You made me a murderer." Her voice was like lead as her hardened eyes met with his. "You have no right to even be opening your mouth!" she threatened as she made an attempt to shove him back. Loki stood his ground and Natasha began throwing punches to his chest, trying to do at least a _little _damage. "Do you know how many people I've killed because of you?!"

"Killing is all a part of my nature, Ms. Romanoff. Do you not understand that?" he calmly asked.

"Because I'm so sure that Frigga taught you to kill-I saw her save a man's life! She isn't a killer!"

"And she is no mother of mine. Frigga is not part of this!" he seethed, gripping hold of her windpipe. Clint fired an arrow, but Loki caught it midair and brought the archer down with a gust of wind from his hand. "I will end this right here and now, Natasha," he promised, watching her struggle for air. "I will right my wrongs and it will be as though none of this ever happened…" The assassin continued to squirm and kick his thigh.

"And let me die?" she choked out. "I'd be lying if I said I could make it on my own."

Loki's glare softened as he loosened his grip. "You had a future. I ruined it out of my own selfishness."

"I had death coming!" she hissed, nails scraping into Loki's slender fingers. His hand suddenly felt ice cold and Natasha's body shuddered as she saw a blue hue creep into his face.

"You would rather live a killer than die as an innocent child?"

"Are you asking me, or is this one for you?"

The question left the god dumbfounded, forcing him to release Natasha and let her fall on her feet. She saw right through him. Then again, he always knew she was a clever one…

Natasha looked straight into his crimson orbs as she rubbed the icy burn around her neck. "You're not a killer, Loki. You saved my life when I was young. Do you think murdering a few bad men makes you a killer? You saved my life. You killed because it was just, not because it's in your blood…" She took a step towards him, but he backed away. "If anyone needs happiness right now, it's you," she remarked with a small smile. "People like me kill of our own free will. You're not like me at all." Natasha grabbed his hand and heard his breathing steady. "We'll close the portal," she wagered. "But any of these guys left in the city need to be killed." She turned around, eying Tony as he hovered behind her. "Got that?"

"If that's the only way to make Blue Man Group happy, then fine," Tony agreed.

Loki frowned until Natasha turned her attention to him. "Loki? Is that a deal?... We won't kill all of them." He nodded and let his Jotun form fade.

"I will get Thor and we will seal the void from Asgard. Sealing the void will use up much of our strength. It will be wise if we do it from home."

Natasha shrugged. "You can always stay here and relax for a few days. I still need a new apartment," she hinted.

Loki tilted his head to the side as he blinked. "You are coming back with me, Natasha. To Asgard."

The red-head laughed and shook her head in reply. "That's not where I belong, Loki."

"Then you will visit once all of this is over," he agreed. "Time will not be an issue with the stone," he added.

"You think so?" she asked. "Cuz part of me wonders if time is working against us for a reason…"

Loki's brows knitted together in confusion. "I do not understand…"

"Yes you do." Natasha stood up on her tiptoes and brought her lips close to his ear. "Find your own happiness, then we'll talk." Before he could answer, she gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. "And don't tell me that I'm the only one who can make you happy," she winked, a genuine smile across her lips. "You've got a family who seems to really care about you. How about you make amends with them for starters?"

Loki was far from happy at the woman's words. He felt like a child being abandoned by his mother. But Natasha seemed adamant about her agreement and he couldn't blame her. She looked happy, and Loki wished that he could look at her with a similar smile, bright and hopeful. "So you believe the paths of a god and assassin will cross again?" he smirked.

Natasha began to laugh. "Yeah," she nodded. "I do… Now go so I can start kicking ass."

There was a bittersweet pain to her words that made Loki want to wallow in his sorrows. But instead, he chose to smile and chuckle. "Until I find my own happiness," he agreed. "Farewell, Natasha."

Just like that, Loki was gone as suddenly as his random appearances and disappearances in Natasha Romanoff's life. But every time he disappeared, he always managed to return. Natasha looked forward to whenever his surprise visit would come next because next time, he would be happy. Happiness. That was what everyone needed in their life. Especially a broken god and a vengeful assassin. Those were the two who deserved happiness most of all.

Natasha was certainly happy. Once the alien mess was cleaned up, she returned to her apartment complex to find that her home was back, completely damage-free and not a book out of place. Loki certainly lived up to his promises-she liked a man of his word. She was definitely happy. Now, it was Loki's turn. Natasha wondered what he was doing on Asgard. She actually thought about it quite often. Was he finding happiness of his own? She hoped so, because she eagerly waited for when the mysterious god would pop up in her life next…

**"If you must go**  
><strong>I wish you love<strong>  
><strong>You'll never walk alone<strong>  
><strong>Take care my love<strong>  
><strong>Miss you love"<strong>

**A/N: Thank you so much to my readers and for the reviews! I hope you guys enjoyed this one, and i will see you all again soon!**


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